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The Contribution of α-Synuclein Spreading to Parkinson's Disease Synaptopathy. Neural Plast 2017; 2017:5012129. [PMID: 28133550 PMCID: PMC5241463 DOI: 10.1155/2017/5012129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2016] [Revised: 11/11/2016] [Accepted: 11/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Synaptopathies are diseases with synapse defects as shared pathogenic features, encompassing neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD). In sporadic PD, the most common age-related neurodegenerative movement disorder, nigrostriatal dopaminergic deficits are responsible for the onset of motor symptoms that have been related to α-synuclein deposition at synaptic sites. Indeed, α-synuclein accumulation can impair synaptic dopamine release and induces the death of nigrostriatal neurons. While in physiological conditions the protein can interact with and modulate synaptic vesicle proteins and membranes, numerous experimental evidences have confirmed that its pathological aggregation can compromise correct neuronal functioning. In addition, recent findings indicate that α-synuclein pathology spreads into the brain and can affect the peripheral autonomic and somatic nervous system. Indeed, monomeric, oligomeric, and fibrillary α-synuclein can move from cell to cell and can trigger the aggregation of the endogenous protein in recipient neurons. This novel “prion-like” behavior could further contribute to synaptic failure in PD and other synucleinopathies. This review describes the major findings supporting the occurrence of α-synuclein pathology propagation in PD and discusses how this phenomenon could induce or contribute to synaptic injury and degeneration.
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Fernandes JTS, Chutna O, Chu V, Conde JP, Outeiro TF. A Novel Microfluidic Cell Co-culture Platform for the Study of the Molecular Mechanisms of Parkinson's Disease and Other Synucleinopathies. Front Neurosci 2016; 10:511. [PMID: 27895548 PMCID: PMC5108800 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Although, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying Parkinson's disease (PD) are still elusive, it is now known that spreading of alpha-synuclein (aSyn) pathology and neuroinflammation are important players in disease progression. Here, we developed a novel microfluidic cell-culture platform for studying the communication between two different cell populations, a process of critical importance not only in PD but also in many biological processes. The integration of micro-valves in the device enabled us to control fluid routing, cellular microenvironments, and to simulate paracrine signaling. As proof of concept, two sets of experiments were designed to show how this platform can be used to investigate specific molecular mechanisms associated with PD. In one experiment, naïve H4 neuroglioma cells were co-cultured with cells expressing aSyn tagged with GFP (aSyn-GFP), to study the release and spreading of the protein. In our experimental set up, we induced the release of the contents of aSyn-GFP producing cells to the medium and monitored the protein's diffusion. In another experiment, H4 cells were co-cultured with N9 microglial cells to assess the interplay between two cell lines in response to environmental stimuli. Here, we observed an increase in the levels of reactive oxygen species in H4 cells cultured in the presence of activated N9 cells, confirming the cross talk between different cell populations. In summary, the platform developed in this study affords novel opportunities for the study of the molecular mechanisms involved in PD and other neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- João T S Fernandes
- Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas E Computadores (INESC) - Microsistemas e Nanotecnologias and Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Oldriska Chutna
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Virginia Chu
- Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas E Computadores (INESC) - Microsistemas e Nanotecnologias and Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Lisbon, Portugal
| | - João P Conde
- Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas E Computadores (INESC) - Microsistemas e Nanotecnologias and Institute of Nanoscience and NanotechnologyLisbon, Portugal; Departamento de Bioengenharia, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de LisboaLisbon, Portugal
| | - Tiago F Outeiro
- Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, CEDOC - Chronic Diseases Research Center, Universidade Nova de LisboaLisbon, Portugal; Department of Neurodegeneration and Restorative Research, Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain, University Medical Center GöttingenGöttingen, Germany
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Tyson T, Steiner JA, Brundin P. Sorting out release, uptake and processing of alpha-synuclein during prion-like spread of pathology. J Neurochem 2016; 139 Suppl 1:275-289. [PMID: 26617280 PMCID: PMC4958606 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2015] [Revised: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 11/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological disorder that is characterized by the formation of intracellular protein inclusion bodies composed primarily of a misfolded and aggregated form of the protein α-synuclein. There is growing evidence that supports the prion-like hypothesis of α-synuclein progression. This hypothesis postulates that α-synuclein is a prion-like pathological agent and is responsible for the progression of Parkinson pathology in the brain. Potential misfolding or aggregation of α-synuclein that might occur in the peripheral nervous system as a result of some insult, environmental or genetic (or more likely a combination of both) that might spread into the midbrain, eventually causing degeneration of the neurons in the substantia nigra. As the disease progresses further, it is likely that α-synuclein pathology continues to spread throughout the brain, including the cortex, leading to deterioration of cognition and higher brain functions. While it is unknown why α-synuclein initially misfolds and aggregates, a great deal has been learned about how the cell handles aberrant α-synuclein assemblies. In this review, we focus on these mechanisms and discuss them in an attempt to define the role that they might play in the propagation of misfolded α-synuclein from cell-to-cell. The prion-like hypothesis of α-synuclein pathology suggests a method for the transmission of misfolded α-synuclein from one neuron to another. This hypothesis postulates that misfolded α-synuclein becomes aggregation prone and when released and taken up by neighboring cells, seeds further misfolding and aggregation. In this review we examine the cellular mechanisms that are involved in the processing of α-synuclein and how these may contribute to the prion-like propagation of α-synuclein pathology. This article is part of a special issue on Parkinson disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevor Tyson
- Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
| | - Jennifer A Steiner
- Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
| | - Patrik Brundin
- Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA.
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Goedert M, Masuda-Suzukake M, Falcon B. Like prions: the propagation of aggregated tau and α-synuclein in neurodegeneration. Brain 2016; 140:266-278. [PMID: 27658420 DOI: 10.1093/brain/aww230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 217] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2016] [Revised: 07/13/2016] [Accepted: 07/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The abnormal aggregation of a small number of known proteins underlies the most common human neurodegenerative diseases. In tauopathies and synucleinopathies, the normally soluble intracellular proteins tau and α-synuclein become insoluble and filamentous. In recent years, non-cell autonomous mechanisms of aggregate formation have come to the fore, suggesting that nucleation-dependent aggregation may occur in a localized fashion in human tauopathies and synucleinopathies, followed by seed-dependent propagation. There is a long prodromal phase between the formation of protein aggregates and the appearance of the first clinical symptoms, which manifest only after extensive propagation, opening novel therapeutic avenues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Goedert
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | | | - Benjamin Falcon
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW We describe evidence supporting the hypothesis that α-synuclein has a prion-like role in Parkinson's disease and related α-synucleinopathies, and discuss how this novel thinking impacts the development of diagnostics and disease-modifying therapies. RECENT FINDINGS Observations that immature dopamine neurons grafted to Parkinson's disease patients can develop Lewy bodies triggered a surge of interest in the putative prion-like properties of α-synuclein. We recount results from experiments which confirm that misfolded α-synuclein can exhibit disease-propagating properties, and describe how they relate to the spreading of α-synuclein aggregates in α-synucleinopathies. We share insights into the underlying molecular mechanisms and their relevance to novel therapeutic targets. Finally, we discuss what the initial triggers of α-synuclein misfolding might be, where in the body the misfolding events might take place, and how this can instruct development of novel diagnostic tools. We speculate that differences in anatomical trigger sites and variability in α-synuclein fibril structure can contribute to clinical differences between α-synucleinopathies. SUMMARY The realization that α-synuclein pathology can propagate between brain regions in neurodegenerative diseases has deepened and expanded our understanding of potential pathogenic processes which can lead to the development of novel diagnostic tools as well as the identification of new therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrik Brundin
- Translational Parkinson’s Disease Research, Van Andel Research Institute, 333 Bostwick Avenue N.E, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Jiyan Ma
- Prion Mechanisms in Neurodegenerative Disease, Van Andel Research Institute, 333 Bostwick Avenue N.E, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Jeffrey H Kordower
- Parkinson’s Disease: Pathogenesis and Experimental Therapeutics; Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Research Institute, 333 Bostwick Avenue N.E, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
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56
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Multisystem Lewy body disease and the other parkinsonian disorders. Nat Genet 2016; 47:1378-84. [PMID: 26620112 DOI: 10.1038/ng.3454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Here we prioritize as multisystem Lewy body disease (MLBD) those genetic forms of Parkinson's disease that point the way toward a mechanistic understanding of the majority of sporadic disease. Pathological diagnosis of genetic subtypes offers the prospect of distinguishing different mechanistic trajectories with a common mutational etiology, differing outcomes from varying allelic bases, and those disease-associated variants that can be used in gene-environment analysis. Clearly delineating parkinsonian disorders into subclasses on the basis of molecular mechanisms with well-characterized outcome expectations is the basis for refining these forms of neurodegeneration as research substrate through the use of cell models derived from affected individuals while ensuring that clinically collected data can be used for therapeutic decisions and research without increasing the noise and confusion engendered by the collection of data against a range of historically defined criteria.
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Feiler MS, Strobel B, Freischmidt A, Helferich AM, Kappel J, Brewer BM, Li D, Thal DR, Walther P, Ludolph AC, Danzer KM, Weishaupt JH. TDP-43 is intercellularly transmitted across axon terminals. J Cell Biol 2016; 211:897-911. [PMID: 26598621 PMCID: PMC4657165 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201504057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 223] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Transactive response DNA-binding protein 43 kD (TDP-43) is an aggregation-prone prion-like domain-containing protein and component of pathological intracellular aggregates found in most amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. TDP-43 oligomers have been postulated to be released and subsequently nucleate TDP-43 oligomerization in recipient cells, which might be the molecular correlate of the systematic symptom spreading observed during ALS progression. We developed a novel protein complementation assay allowing quantification of TDP-43 oligomers in living cells. We demonstrate the exchange of TDP-43 between cell somata and the presence of TDP-43 oligomers in microvesicles/exosomes and show that microvesicular TDP-43 is preferentially taken up by recipient cells where it exerts higher toxicity than free TDP-43. Moreover, studies using microfluidic neuronal cultures suggest both anterograde and retrograde trans-synaptic spreading of TDP-43. Finally, we demonstrate TDP-43 oligomer seeding by TDP-43-containing material derived from both cultured cells and ALS patient brain lysate. Thus, using an innovative detection technique, we provide evidence for preferentially microvesicular uptake as well as both soma-to-soma "horizontal" and bidirectional "vertical" synaptic intercellular transmission and prion-like seeding of TDP-43.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Benjamin Strobel
- Target Discovery Research, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88397 Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | | | | | - Julia Kappel
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Bryson M Brewer
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37212
| | - Deyu Li
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37212
| | - Dietmar R Thal
- Laboratory for Neuropathology, Institute of Pathology, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Paul Walther
- Central Facility for Electron Microscopy, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Karin M Danzer
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm 89081, Germany
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Zalis MC, Reyes JF, Augustsson P, Holmqvist S, Roybon L, Laurell T, Deierborg T. Label-free concentration of viable neurons, hESCs and cancer cells by means of acoustophoresis. Integr Biol (Camb) 2016; 8:332-40. [DOI: 10.1039/c5ib00288e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Concentration of viable cell populations in suspension is of interest for several clinical and pre-clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina C. Zalis
- Experimental Neuroinflammation Laboratory
- Department of Experimental Medical Science
- Lund University
- Sweden
| | - Juan F. Reyes
- Neuronal Survival Unit
- Department of Experimental Medical Science
- Lund University
- Sweden
| | - Per Augustsson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering
- Lund University
- Sweden
| | - Staffan Holmqvist
- Stem Cell Laboratory for CNS Disease Modeling
- Wallenberg Neuroscience Center
- Department of Experimental Medical Science
- BMC A10 and Strategic Research Area MultiPark and Lund Stem Cell Center
- Lund University
| | - Laurent Roybon
- Stem Cell Laboratory for CNS Disease Modeling
- Wallenberg Neuroscience Center
- Department of Experimental Medical Science
- BMC A10 and Strategic Research Area MultiPark and Lund Stem Cell Center
- Lund University
| | - Thomas Laurell
- Department of Biomedical Engineering
- Lund University
- Sweden
| | - Tomas Deierborg
- Experimental Neuroinflammation Laboratory
- Department of Experimental Medical Science
- Lund University
- Sweden
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59
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Samuel F, Flavin WP, Iqbal S, Pacelli C, Sri Renganathan SD, Trudeau LE, Campbell EM, Fraser PE, Tandon A. Effects of Serine 129 Phosphorylation on α-Synuclein Aggregation, Membrane Association, and Internalization. J Biol Chem 2015; 291:4374-85. [PMID: 26719332 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.705095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2015] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Although trace levels of phosphorylated α-synuclein (α-syn) are detectable in normal brains, nearly all α-syn accumulated within Lewy bodies in Parkinson disease brains is phosphorylated on serine 129 (Ser-129). The role of the phosphoserine residue and its effects on α-syn structure, function, and intracellular accumulation are poorly understood. Here, co-expression of α-syn and polo-like kinase 2 (PLK2), a kinase that targets Ser-129, was used to generate phosphorylated α-syn for biophysical and biological characterization. Misfolding and fibril formation of phosphorylated α-syn isoforms were detected earlier, although the fibrils remained phosphatase- and protease-sensitive. Membrane binding of α-syn monomers was differentially affected by phosphorylation depending on the Parkinson disease-linked mutation. WT α-syn binding to presynaptic membranes was not affected by phosphorylation, whereas A30P α-syn binding was greatly increased, and A53T α-syn was slightly lower, implicating distal effects of the carboxyl- on amino-terminal membrane binding. Endocytic vesicle-mediated internalization of pre-formed fibrils into non-neuronal cells and dopaminergic neurons matched the efficacy of α-syn membrane binding. Finally, the disruption of internalized vesicle membranes was enhanced by the phosphorylated α-syn isoforms, a potential means for misfolded extracellular or lumenal α-syn to access cytosolic α-syn. Our results suggest that the threshold for vesicle permeabilization is evident even at low levels of α-syn internalization and are relevant to therapeutic strategies to reduce intercellular propagation of α-syn misfolding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filsy Samuel
- From the Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada
| | | | - Sobia Iqbal
- From the Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada
| | - Consiglia Pacelli
- the Departments of Pharmacology and Neurosciences, Central Nervous System Research Group (GRSNC), Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Québec H4T 1J4, Canada, and
| | | | - Louis-Eric Trudeau
- the Departments of Pharmacology and Neurosciences, Central Nervous System Research Group (GRSNC), Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Québec H4T 1J4, Canada, and
| | - Edward M Campbell
- the Integrative Cell Biology Program, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois 60153
| | - Paul E Fraser
- From the Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada, the Departments of Medical Biophysics and
| | - Anurag Tandon
- From the Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada, Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada
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60
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Prion-like propagation of human brain-derived alpha-synuclein in transgenic mice expressing human wild-type alpha-synuclein. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2015; 3:75. [PMID: 26612754 PMCID: PMC4660655 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-015-0254-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2015] [Accepted: 11/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Parkinson’s disease (PD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA) are neurodegenerative diseases that are characterized by the intracellular accumulation of alpha-synuclein containing aggregates. Recent increasing evidence suggests that Parkinson’s disease and MSA pathology spread throughout the nervous system in a spatiotemporal fashion, possibly by prion-like propagation of alpha-synuclein positive aggregates between synaptically connected areas. Concurrently, intracerebral injection of pathological alpha-synuclein into transgenic mice overexpressing human wild-type alpha-synuclein, or human alpha-synuclein with the familial A53T mutation, or into wild-type mice causes spreading of alpha-synuclein pathology in the CNS. Considering that wild-type mice naturally also express a threonine at codon 53 of alpha-synuclein, it has remained unclear whether human wild-type alpha-synuclein alone, in the absence of endogenously expressed mouse alpha-synuclein, would support a similar propagation of alpha-synuclein pathology in vivo. Results Here we show that brain extracts from two patients with MSA and two patients with probable incidental Lewy body disease (iLBD) but not phosphate-buffered saline induce prion-like spreading of pathological alpha-synuclein after intrastriatal injection into mice expressing human wild-type alpha-synuclein. Mice were sacrificed at 3, 6, and 9 months post injection and analyzed neuropathologically and biochemically. Mice injected with brain extracts from patients with MSA or probable iLBD both accumulated intraneuronal inclusion bodies, which stained positive for phosphorylated alpha-synuclein and appeared predominantly within the injected brain hemisphere after 6 months. After 9 months these intraneuronal inclusion bodies had spread to the contralateral hemisphere and more rostral and caudal areas. Biochemical analysis showed that brains of mice injected with brain extracts from patients with MSA and probable iLBD contained hyperphosphorylated alpha-synuclein that also seeded aggregation of recombinant human wild-type alpha-synuclein in a Thioflavin T binding assay. Conclusions Our results indicate that human wild-type alpha-synuclein supports the prion-like spreading of alpha-synuclein pathology in the absence of endogenously expressed mouse alpha-synuclein in vivo. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40478-015-0254-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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61
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Macchi F, Deleersnijder A, Van den Haute C, Munck S, Pottel H, Michiels A, Debyser Z, Gerard M, Baekelandt V. High-content analysis of α-synuclein aggregation and cell death in a cellular model of Parkinson's disease. J Neurosci Methods 2015; 261:117-27. [PMID: 26620202 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2015.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2015] [Revised: 11/16/2015] [Accepted: 11/16/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alpha-synuclein (α-SYN) aggregates represent a key feature of Parkinson's disease, but the exact relationship between α-SYN aggregation and neurodegeneration remains incompletely understood. Therefore, the availability of a cellular assay that allows medium-throughput analysis of α-SYN-linked pathology will be of great value for studying the aggregation process and for advancing α-SYN-based therapies. NEW METHOD Here we describe a high-content neuronal cell assay that simultaneously measures oxidative stress-induced α-SYN aggregation and apoptosis. RESULTS We optimized an automated and reproducible assay to quantify both α-SYN aggregation and cell death in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS Quantification of α-SYN aggregates in cells has typically relied on manual imaging and counting or cell-free assays, which are time consuming and do not allow a concurrent analysis of cell viability. Our high-content analysis method for quantification of α-SYN aggregation allows simultaneous measurements of multiple cell parameters at a single-cell level in a fast, objective and automated manner. CONCLUSIONS The presented analysis approach offers a rapid, objective and multiparametric approach for the screening of compounds and genes that might alter α-SYN aggregation and/or toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Macchi
- KU Leuven, Laboratory for Neurobiology and Gene Therapy, Kapucijnenvoer 33, Leuven B-3000, Flanders, Belgium
| | - Angélique Deleersnijder
- KU Leuven, Laboratory for Neurobiology and Gene Therapy, Kapucijnenvoer 33, Leuven B-3000, Flanders, Belgium
| | - Chris Van den Haute
- KU Leuven, Laboratory for Neurobiology and Gene Therapy, Kapucijnenvoer 33, Leuven B-3000, Flanders, Belgium; Leuven Viral Vector Core, KU Leuven, Leuven B-3000, Flanders, Belgium
| | - Sebastian Munck
- KU Leuven, Department of Human Genetics, Flanders Interuniversity Institute of Biotechnology, Kapucijnenvoer 33, Leuven B-3000, Flanders, Belgium
| | - Hans Pottel
- KU Leuven Campus Kulak Kortrijk, Public Health and Primary Care, Interdisciplinary Research Facility Life Sciences, Etienne Sabbelaan 53, Kortrijk B-8500, Flanders, Belgium
| | - Annelies Michiels
- KU Leuven, Laboratory for Neurobiology and Gene Therapy, Kapucijnenvoer 33, Leuven B-3000, Flanders, Belgium; Leuven Viral Vector Core, KU Leuven, Leuven B-3000, Flanders, Belgium
| | - Zeger Debyser
- Laboratory for Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven B-3000, Flanders, Belgium
| | - Melanie Gerard
- KU Leuven, Laboratory for Neurobiology and Gene Therapy, Kapucijnenvoer 33, Leuven B-3000, Flanders, Belgium; KU Leuven campus Kulak Kortrijk, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Interdisciplinary Research Facility Life Sciences, Etienne Sabbelaan 53, Kortrijk B-8500, Flanders, Belgium
| | - Veerle Baekelandt
- KU Leuven, Laboratory for Neurobiology and Gene Therapy, Kapucijnenvoer 33, Leuven B-3000, Flanders, Belgium.
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Luna E, Luk KC. Bent out of shape: α-Synuclein misfolding and the convergence of pathogenic pathways in Parkinson's disease. FEBS Lett 2015; 589:3749-59. [PMID: 26505673 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2015.10.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2015] [Revised: 10/15/2015] [Accepted: 10/18/2015] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Protein inclusions made up primarily of misfolded α-synuclein (α-Syn) are the hallmark of a set of disorders known as synucleinopathies, most notably Parkinson's disease (PD). It is becoming increasingly appreciated that α-Syn misfolding can spread to anatomically connected regions in a prion-like manner. The protein aggregates that ensue are correlated with neurodegeneration in the various yet select neuronal populations that are affected. Recent advances have begun to shed light on the spreading and toxicity mechanisms that may be occurring in PD. Several key emerging themes are arising from this work suggesting that α-Syn mediated neurodegeneration is due to a combination of relative α-Syn expression level, connectivity to affected brain regions, and intrinsic vulnerability to pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esteban Luna
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
| | - Kelvin C Luk
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States.
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63
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Higher vulnerability and stress sensitivity of neuronal precursor cells carrying an alpha-synuclein gene triplication. PLoS One 2014; 9:e112413. [PMID: 25390032 PMCID: PMC4229205 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0112413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2013] [Accepted: 10/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson disease (PD) is a multi-factorial neurodegenerative disorder with loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and characteristic intracellular inclusions, called Lewy bodies. Genetic predisposition, such as point mutations and copy number variants of the SNCA gene locus can cause very similar PD-like neurodegeneration. The impact of altered α-synuclein protein expression on integrity and developmental potential of neuronal stem cells is largely unexplored, but may have wide ranging implications for PD manifestation and disease progression. Here, we investigated if induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neuronal precursor cells (NPCs) from a patient with Parkinson's disease carrying a genomic triplication of the SNCA gene (SNCA-Tri). Our goal was to determine if these cells these neuronal precursor cells already display pathological changes and impaired cellular function that would likely predispose them when differentiated to neurodegeneration. To achieve this aim, we assessed viability and cellular physiology in human SNCA-Tri NPCs both under normal and environmentally stressed conditions to model in vitro gene-environment interactions which may play a role in the initiation and progression of PD. Human SNCA-Tri NPCs displayed overall normal cellular and mitochondrial morphology, but showed substantial changes in growth, viability, cellular energy metabolism and stress resistance especially when challenged by starvation or toxicant challenge. Knockdown of α-synuclein in the SNCA-Tri NPCs by stably expressed short hairpin RNA (shRNA) resulted in reversal of the observed phenotypic changes. These data show for the first time that genetic alterations such as the SNCA gene triplication set the stage for decreased developmental fitness, accelerated aging, and increased neuronal cell loss. The observation of this "stem cell pathology" could have a great impact on both quality and quantity of neuronal networks and could provide a powerful new tool for development of neuroprotective strategies for PD.
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