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Leak RK, Clark RN, Abbas M, Xu F, Brodsky JL, Chen J, Hu X, Luk KC. Current insights and assumptions on α-synuclein in Lewy body disease. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 148:18. [PMID: 39141121 PMCID: PMC11324801 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-024-02781-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2024] [Revised: 07/28/2024] [Accepted: 08/04/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024]
Abstract
Lewy body disorders are heterogeneous neurological conditions defined by intracellular inclusions composed of misshapen α-synuclein protein aggregates. Although α-synuclein aggregates are only one component of inclusions and not strictly coupled to neurodegeneration, evidence suggests they seed the propagation of Lewy pathology within and across cells. Genetic mutations, genomic multiplications, and sequence polymorphisms of the gene encoding α-synuclein are also causally linked to Lewy body disease. In nonfamilial cases of Lewy body disease, the disease trigger remains unidentified but may range from industrial/agricultural toxicants and natural sources of poisons to microbial pathogens. Perhaps due to these peripheral exposures, Lewy inclusions appear at early disease stages in brain regions connected with cranial nerves I and X, which interface with inhaled and ingested environmental elements in the nasal or gastrointestinal cavities. Irrespective of its identity, a stealthy disease trigger most likely shifts soluble α-synuclein (directly or indirectly) into insoluble, cross-β-sheet aggregates. Indeed, β-sheet-rich self-replicating α-synuclein multimers reside in patient plasma, cerebrospinal fluid, and other tissues, and can be subjected to α-synuclein seed amplification assays. Thus, clinicians should be able to capitalize on α-synuclein seed amplification assays to stratify patients into potential responders versus non-responders in future clinical trials of α-synuclein targeted therapies. Here, we briefly review the current understanding of α-synuclein in Lewy body disease and speculate on pathophysiological processes underlying the potential transmission of α-synucleinopathy across the neuraxis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rehana K Leak
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Duquesne University, 418C Mellon Hall, 913 Bluff Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA.
| | - Rachel N Clark
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Duquesne University, 418C Mellon Hall, 913 Bluff Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA
| | - Muslim Abbas
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Duquesne University, 418C Mellon Hall, 913 Bluff Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA
| | - Fei Xu
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jeffrey L Brodsky
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jun Chen
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Health Care System, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Xiaoming Hu
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Kelvin C Luk
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, PA, USA
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Stys PK, Tsutsui S, Gafson AR, ‘t Hart BA, Belachew S, Geurts JJG. New views on the complex interplay between degeneration and autoimmunity in multiple sclerosis. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 18:1426231. [PMID: 39161786 PMCID: PMC11330826 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1426231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a frequently disabling neurological disorder characterized by symptoms, clinical signs and imaging abnormalities that typically fluctuate over time, affecting any level of the CNS. Prominent lymphocytic inflammation, many genetic susceptibility variants involving immune pathways, as well as potent responses of the neuroinflammatory component to immunomodulating drugs, have led to the natural conclusion that this disease is driven by a primary autoimmune process. In this Hypothesis and Theory article, we discuss emerging data that cast doubt on this assumption. After three decades of therapeutic experience, what has become clear is that potent immune modulators are highly effective at suppressing inflammatory relapses, yet exhibit very limited effects on the later progressive phase of MS. Moreover, neuropathological examination of MS tissue indicates that degeneration, CNS atrophy, and myelin loss are most prominent in the progressive stage, when lymphocytic inflammation paradoxically wanes. Finally, emerging clinical observations such as "progression independent of relapse activity" and "silent progression," now thought to take hold very early in the course, together argue that an underlying "cytodegenerative" process, likely targeting the myelinating unit, may in fact represent the most proximal step in a complex pathophysiological cascade exacerbated by an autoimmune inflammatory overlay. Parallels are drawn with more traditional neurodegenerative disorders, where a progressive proteopathy with prion-like propagation of toxic misfolded species is now known to play a key role. A potentially pivotal contribution of the Epstein-Barr virus and B cells in this process is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter K. Stys
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Shigeki Tsutsui
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Arie R. Gafson
- Biogen Digital Health, Biogen, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Bert A. ‘t Hart
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (location VUmc), Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Shibeshih Belachew
- TheraPanacea, Paris, France
- Indivi (DBA of Healios AG), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jeroen J. G. Geurts
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (location VUmc), Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Guo C, Wang T, Huang H, Wang X, Jiang Y, Li J. Plasminogen degrades α-synuclein, Tau and TDP-43 and decreases dopaminergic neurodegeneration in mouse models of Parkinson's disease. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8581. [PMID: 38615036 PMCID: PMC11016066 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59090-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most frequently diagnosed neurodegenerative disease, and it is characterized by the intracellular and extracellular accumulation of α-synuclein (α-syn) and Tau, which are major components of cytosolic protein inclusions called Lewy bodies, in the brain. Currently, there is a lack of effective methods that preventing PD progression. It has been suggested that the plasminogen activation system, which is a major extracellular proteolysis system, is involved in PD pathogenesis. We investigated the functional roles of plasminogen in vitro in an okadaic acid-induced Tau hyperphosphorylation NSC34 cell model, ex vivo using brains from normal controls and methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-treated mice, and in vivo in a widely used MPTP-induced PD mouse model and an α-syn overexpression mouse model. The in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo results showed that the administered plasminogen crossed the blood‒brain barrier (BBB), entered cells, and migrated to the nucleus, increased plasmin activity intracellularly, bound to α-syn through lysine binding sites, significantly promoted α-syn, Tau and TDP-43 clearance intracellularly and even intranuclearly in the brain, decreased dopaminergic neurodegeneration and increased the tyrosine hydroxylase levels in the substantia nigra and striatum, and improved motor function in PD mouse models. These findings indicate that plasminogen plays a wide range of pivotal protective roles in PD and therefore may be a promising drug candidate for PD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunying Guo
- Department of Applied Research, Talengen Institute of Life Sciences, Room C602G, 289 Digital Peninsula, Shunfeng Industrial Park, No. 2 Red Willow Road, Futian District, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
- Department of Applied Research, Ruijian Xingze Biomedical Co. Ltd, Dongguan, People's Republic of China
- Department of Basic Research, Talengen Laboratory of Sciences, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Applied Research, Talengen Institute of Life Sciences, Room C602G, 289 Digital Peninsula, Shunfeng Industrial Park, No. 2 Red Willow Road, Futian District, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
- Department of Applied Research, Ruijian Xingze Biomedical Co. Ltd, Dongguan, People's Republic of China
- Department of Basic Research, Talengen Laboratory of Sciences, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Haiyan Huang
- Department of Applied Research, Talengen Institute of Life Sciences, Room C602G, 289 Digital Peninsula, Shunfeng Industrial Park, No. 2 Red Willow Road, Futian District, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
- Department of Applied Research, Ruijian Xingze Biomedical Co. Ltd, Dongguan, People's Republic of China
- Department of Basic Research, Talengen Laboratory of Sciences, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaolu Wang
- Department of Applied Research, Talengen Institute of Life Sciences, Room C602G, 289 Digital Peninsula, Shunfeng Industrial Park, No. 2 Red Willow Road, Futian District, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
- Department of Applied Research, Ruijian Xingze Biomedical Co. Ltd, Dongguan, People's Republic of China
- Department of Basic Research, Talengen Laboratory of Sciences, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Yugui Jiang
- Department of Applied Research, Talengen Institute of Life Sciences, Room C602G, 289 Digital Peninsula, Shunfeng Industrial Park, No. 2 Red Willow Road, Futian District, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
- Department of Applied Research, Ruijian Xingze Biomedical Co. Ltd, Dongguan, People's Republic of China
- Department of Basic Research, Talengen Laboratory of Sciences, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinan Li
- Department of Applied Research, Talengen Institute of Life Sciences, Room C602G, 289 Digital Peninsula, Shunfeng Industrial Park, No. 2 Red Willow Road, Futian District, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China.
- Department of Applied Research, Ruijian Xingze Biomedical Co. Ltd, Dongguan, People's Republic of China.
- Department of Basic Research, Talengen Laboratory of Sciences, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China.
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Brooker SM, Naylor GE, Krainc D. Cell biology of Parkinson's disease: Mechanisms of synaptic, lysosomal, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2024; 85:102841. [PMID: 38306948 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2024.102841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a growing cause of disability worldwide and there is a critical need for the development of disease-modifying therapies to slow or stop disease progression. Recent advances in characterizing the genetics of PD have expanded our understanding of the cell biology of this disorder. Mitochondrial oxidative stress, defects in synaptic function, and impaired lysosomal activity have been shown to be linked in PD, resulting in a pathogenic feedback cycle involving the accumulation of toxic oxidized dopamine and alpha-synuclein. In this review, we will highlight recent data on a subset of PD-linked genes which have key roles in these pathways and the pathogenic cycle. We will furthermore discuss findings highlighting the importance of dynamic mitochondria-lysosome contact sites that mediate direct inter-organelle cross-talk in the pathogenesis of PD and related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Brooker
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. https://twitter.com/BrookerSarahM
| | - Grace E Naylor
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. https://twitter.com/GENaylor
| | - Dimitri Krainc
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
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Saramowicz K, Siwecka N, Galita G, Kucharska-Lusina A, Rozpędek-Kamińska W, Majsterek I. Alpha-Synuclein Contribution to Neuronal and Glial Damage in Parkinson's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 25:360. [PMID: 38203531 PMCID: PMC10778752 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and the widespread accumulation of alpha-synuclein (αSyn) protein aggregates. αSyn aggregation disrupts critical cellular processes, including synaptic function, mitochondrial integrity, and proteostasis, which culminate in neuronal cell death. Importantly, αSyn pathology extends beyond neurons-it also encompasses spreading throughout the neuronal environment and internalization by microglia and astrocytes. Once internalized, glia can act as neuroprotective scavengers, which limit the spread of αSyn. However, they can also become reactive, thereby contributing to neuroinflammation and the progression of PD. Recent advances in αSyn research have enabled the molecular diagnosis of PD and accelerated the development of targeted therapies. Nevertheless, despite more than two decades of research, the cellular function, aggregation mechanisms, and induction of cellular damage by αSyn remain incompletely understood. Unraveling the interplay between αSyn, neurons, and glia may provide insights into disease initiation and progression, which may bring us closer to exploring new effective therapeutic strategies. Herein, we provide an overview of recent studies emphasizing the multifaceted nature of αSyn and its impact on both neuron and glial cell damage.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Ireneusz Majsterek
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Medical University of Lodz, 92-215 Lodz, Poland; (K.S.); (N.S.); (G.G.); (A.K.-L.); (W.R.-K.)
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