1
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Zhang S, Lingor P. Strain-dependent alpha-synuclein spreading in Parkinson's disease and multiple system atrophy. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:2581-2582. [PMID: 38808991 PMCID: PMC11168516 DOI: 10.4103/nrr.nrr-d-23-01900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Shuyu Zhang
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University Hospital rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Paul Lingor
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University Hospital rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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2
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Mehra S, Bourkas ME, Kaczmarczyk L, Stuart E, Arshad H, Griffin JK, Frost KL, Walsh DJ, Supattapone S, Booth SA, Jackson WS, Watts JC. Convergent generation of atypical prions in knockin mouse models of genetic prion disease. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e176344. [PMID: 39087478 PMCID: PMC11291267 DOI: 10.1172/jci176344] [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: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Most cases of human prion disease arise due to spontaneous misfolding of WT or mutant prion protein, yet recapitulating this event in animal models has proven challenging. It remains unclear whether spontaneous prion generation can occur within the mouse lifespan in the absence of protein overexpression and how disease-causing mutations affect prion strain properties. To address these issues, we generated knockin mice that express the misfolding-prone bank vole prion protein (BVPrP). While mice expressing WT BVPrP (I109 variant) remained free from neurological disease, a subset of mice expressing BVPrP with mutations (D178N or E200K) causing genetic prion disease developed progressive neurological illness. Brains from spontaneously ill knockin mice contained prion disease-specific neuropathological changes as well as atypical protease-resistant BVPrP. Moreover, brain extracts from spontaneously ill D178N- or E200K-mutant BVPrP-knockin mice exhibited prion seeding activity and transmitted disease to mice expressing WT BVPrP. Surprisingly, the properties of the D178N- and E200K-mutant prions appeared identical before and after transmission, suggesting that both mutations guide the formation of a similar atypical prion strain. These findings imply that knockin mice expressing mutant BVPrP spontaneously develop a bona fide prion disease and that mutations causing prion diseases may share a uniform initial mechanism of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surabhi Mehra
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases and
| | - Matthew E.C. Bourkas
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases and
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lech Kaczmarczyk
- Wallenberg Center for Molecular Medicine, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Erica Stuart
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases and
| | - Hamza Arshad
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases and
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Kathy L. Frost
- One Health Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | | | - Surachai Supattapone
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology and
- Department of Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Stephanie A. Booth
- One Health Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Walker S. Jackson
- Wallenberg Center for Molecular Medicine, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Joel C. Watts
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases and
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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3
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Reis PM, Holec SAM, Ezeiruaku C, Frost MP, Brown CK, Liu SL, Olson SH, Woerman AL. Structurally targeted mutagenesis identifies key residues supporting α -synuclein misfolding in multiple system atrophy. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.04.602104. [PMID: 39026799 PMCID: PMC11257492 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.04.602104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Multiple system atrophy (MSA) and Parkinson's disease (PD) are caused by misfolded α -synuclein spreading throughout the central nervous system. While familial PD is linked to several point mutations in α -synuclein, there are no known mutations associated with MSA. Our previous work investigating differences in α -synuclein misfolding between the two disorders showed that the familial PD mutation E46K inhibits replication of MSA prions both in vitro and in vivo, providing key evidence to support the hypothesis that α -synuclein adopts unique strains in patients. Here, to further interrogate α -synuclein misfolding, we engineered a panel of cell lines harboring both PD-linked and novel mutations designed to identify key residues that facilitate α -synuclein misfolding in MSA. These data were paired with in silico analyses using Maestro software to predict the effect of each mutation on the ability of α -synuclein to misfold into one of the reported MSA cryo-electron microscopy conformations. In many cases, our modeling accurately identified mutations that facilitated or inhibited MSA replication. However, Maestro was occasionally unable to predict the effect of a mutation on MSA propagation in vitro, demonstrating the challenge of using computational tools to investigate intrinsically disordered proteins. Finally, we used our cellular models to determine the mechanism underlying the E46K-driven inhibition of MSA replication, finding that the E46/K80 salt bridge is necessary to support α -synuclein misfolding. Overall, our studies use a structure-based approach to investigate α -synuclein misfolding, resulting in the creation of a powerful panel of cell lines that can be used to interrogate MSA strain biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia M. Reis
- Department of Biology and Institute for Applied Life Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
- Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Sara A. M. Holec
- Department of Biology and Institute for Applied Life Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Prion Research Center, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Chimere Ezeiruaku
- Department of Biology and Institute for Applied Life Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Matthew P. Frost
- Department of Biology and Institute for Applied Life Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Christine K. Brown
- Department of Biology and Institute for Applied Life Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Samantha L. Liu
- Department of Biology and Institute for Applied Life Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Steven H. Olson
- Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Amanda L. Woerman
- Department of Biology and Institute for Applied Life Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Prion Research Center, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
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4
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Lee E, Park H, Kim S. Transcellular transmission and molecular heterogeneity of aggregation-prone proteins in neurodegenerative diseases. Mol Cells 2024; 47:100089. [PMID: 38971320 PMCID: PMC11286998 DOI: 10.1016/j.mocell.2024.100089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2024] [Revised: 06/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024] Open
Abstract
The accumulation of aggregation-prone proteins in a specific neuronal population is a common feature of neurodegenerative diseases, which is correlated with the development of pathological lesions in diseased brains. The formation and progression of pathological protein aggregates in susceptible neurons induce cellular dysfunction, resulting in progressive degeneration. Moreover, recent evidence supports the notion that the cell-to-cell transmission of pathological protein aggregates may be involved in the onset and progression of many neurodegenerative diseases. Indeed, several studies have identified different pathological aggregate strains. Although how these different aggregate strains form remains unclear, a variety of biomolecular compositions or cross-seeding events promoted by the presence of other protein aggregates in the cellular environment may affect the formation of different strains of pathological aggregates, which in turn can influence complex pathologies in diseased brains. In this review, we summarize the recent results regarding cell-to-cell transmission and the molecular heterogeneity of pathological aggregate strains, raising key questions for future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunmin Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk 28644, Korea
| | - Hyeonwoo Park
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk 28644, Korea
| | - Sangjune Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk 28644, Korea.
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5
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Woerman AL, Bartz JC. Effect of host and strain factors on α-synuclein prion pathogenesis. Trends Neurosci 2024; 47:538-550. [PMID: 38806297 PMCID: PMC11236502 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2024.05.004] [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: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Prion diseases are a group of neurodegenerative disorders caused by misfolding of proteins into pathogenic conformations that self-template to spread disease. Although this mechanism is largely associated with the prion protein (PrP) in classical prion diseases, a growing literature indicates that other proteins, including α-synuclein, rely on a similar disease mechanism. Notably, α-synuclein misfolds into distinct conformations, or strains, that cause discrete clinical disorders including multiple system atrophy (MSA) and Parkinson's disease (PD). Because the recognized similarities between PrP and α-synuclein are increasing, this review article draws from research on PrP to identify the host and strain factors that impact disease pathogenesis, predominantly in rodent models, and focuses on key considerations for future research on α-synuclein prions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L Woerman
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Prion Research Center, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
| | - Jason C Bartz
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Prion Research Center, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA; Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA.
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6
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Yang Y, Zhang Z. α-Synuclein pathology from the body to the brain: so many seeds so close to the central soil. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:1463-1472. [PMID: 38051888 PMCID: PMC10883481 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.387967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT α-Synuclein is a protein that mainly exists in the presynaptic terminals. Abnormal folding and accumulation of α-synuclein are found in several neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease. Aggregated and highly phosphorylated α-synuclein constitutes the main component of Lewy bodies in the brain, the pathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease. For decades, much attention has been focused on the accumulation of α-synuclein in the brain parenchyma rather than considering Parkinson's disease as a systemic disease. Recent evidence demonstrates that, at least in some patients, the initial α-synuclein pathology originates in the peripheral organs and spreads to the brain. Injection of α-synuclein preformed fibrils into the gastrointestinal tract triggers the gut-to-brain propagation of α-synuclein pathology. However, whether α-synuclein pathology can occur spontaneously in peripheral organs independent of exogenous α-synuclein preformed fibrils or pathological α-synuclein leakage from the central nervous system remains under investigation. In this review, we aimed to summarize the role of peripheral α-synuclein pathology in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. We also discuss the pathways by which α-synuclein pathology spreads from the body to the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunying Yang
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Zhentao Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
- TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
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7
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Rose C, Tomas-Grau RH, Zabala B, Michel PP, Brunel JM, Chehín R, Raisman-Vozari R, Ferrié L, Figadère B. C9-Functionalized Doxycycline Analogs as Drug Candidates to Prevent Pathological α-Synuclein Aggregation and Neuroinflammation in Parkinson's Disease Degeneration. ChemMedChem 2024; 19:e202300597. [PMID: 38526011 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202300597] [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: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Doxycycline, a semi-synthetic tetracycline, is a widely used antibiotic for treating mild-to-moderate infections, including skin problems. However, its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, combined with its ability to interfere with α-synuclein aggregation, make it an attractive candidate for repositioning in Parkinson's disease. Nevertheless, the antibiotic activity of doxycycline restricts its potential use for long-term treatment of Parkinsonian patients. In the search for non-antibiotic tetracyclines that could operate against Parkinson's disease pathomechanisms, eighteen novel doxycycline derivatives were designed. Specifically, the dimethyl-amino group at C4 was reduced, resulting in limited antimicrobial activity, and several coupling reactions were performed at position C9 of the aromatic D ring, this position being one of the most reactive for introducing substituents. Using the Thioflavin-T assay, we found seven compounds were more effective than doxycycline in inhibiting α-synuclein aggregation. Furthermore, two of these derivatives exhibited better anti-inflammatory effects than doxycycline in a culture system of microglial cells used to model Parkinson's disease neuroinflammatory processes. Overall, through structure-activity relationship studies, we identified two newly designed tetracyclines as promising drug candidates for Parkinson's disease treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clémence Rose
- BioCIS, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 91400, Orsay, France
| | | | - Brenda Zabala
- Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Hôpital Pitié Salpêtrière, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Patrick Pierre Michel
- Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Hôpital Pitié Salpêtrière, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Michel Brunel
- UMR_MD1 Membranes et Cibles Thérapeutiques, U1261 INSERM, Aix-Marseille Université, 13385, Marseille, France
| | - Rosana Chehín
- IMMCA, CONICET-UNT-SIPROSA, Tucumán, 4000, Argentina
| | - Rita Raisman-Vozari
- Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Hôpital Pitié Salpêtrière, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Laurent Ferrié
- BioCIS, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 91400, Orsay, France
| | - Bruno Figadère
- BioCIS, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 91400, Orsay, France
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8
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Wallace HM, Yang H, Tan S, Pan HS, Yang R, Xu J, Jo H, Condello C, Polizzi NF, DeGrado WF. De novo design of peptides that bind specific conformers of α-synuclein. Chem Sci 2024; 15:8414-8421. [PMID: 38846390 PMCID: PMC11151861 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc06245g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Insoluble amyloids rich in cross-β fibrils are observed in a number of neurodegenerative diseases. Depending on the clinicopathology, the amyloids can adopt distinct supramolecular assemblies, termed conformational strains. However, rapid methods to study amyloids in a conformationally specific manner are lacking. We introduce a novel computational method for de novo design of peptides that tile the surface of α-synuclein fibrils in a conformationally specific manner. Our method begins by identifying surfaces that are unique to the conformational strain of interest, which becomes a "target backbone" for the design of a peptide binder. Next, we interrogate structures in the PDB with high geometric complementarity to the target. Then, we identify secondary structural motifs that interact with this target backbone in a favorable, highly occurring geometry. This method produces monomeric helical motifs with a favorable geometry for interaction with the strands of the underlying amyloid. Each motif is then symmetrically replicated to form a monolayer that tiles the amyloid surface. Finally, amino acid sequences of the peptide binders are computed to provide a sequence with high geometric and physicochemical complementarity to the target amyloid. This method was applied to a conformational strain of α-synuclein fibrils, resulting in a peptide with high specificity for the target relative to other amyloids formed by α-synuclein, tau, or Aβ40. This designed peptide also markedly slowed the formation of α-synuclein amyloids. Overall, this method offers a new tool for examining conformational strains of amyloid proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailey M Wallace
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, The Cardiovascular Research Institution, University of California San Francisco CA 94158 USA
| | - Hyunjun Yang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, The Cardiovascular Research Institution, University of California San Francisco CA 94158 USA
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco CA 94143 USA
| | - Sophia Tan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, The Cardiovascular Research Institution, University of California San Francisco CA 94158 USA
| | - Henry S Pan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, The Cardiovascular Research Institution, University of California San Francisco CA 94158 USA
| | - Rose Yang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, The Cardiovascular Research Institution, University of California San Francisco CA 94158 USA
| | - Junyi Xu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, The Cardiovascular Research Institution, University of California San Francisco CA 94158 USA
| | - Hyunil Jo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, The Cardiovascular Research Institution, University of California San Francisco CA 94158 USA
| | - Carlo Condello
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco CA 94143 USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco CA 94143 USA
| | - Nicholas F Polizzi
- Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School Boston MA 02215 USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School Boston MA 02215 USA
| | - William F DeGrado
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, The Cardiovascular Research Institution, University of California San Francisco CA 94158 USA
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco CA 94143 USA
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9
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Lázaro DF, Lee VMY. Navigating through the complexities of synucleinopathies: Insights into pathogenesis, heterogeneity, and future perspectives. Neuron 2024:S0896-6273(24)00364-7. [PMID: 38861985 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
The aggregation of alpha-synuclein (aSyn) represents a neuropathological hallmark observed in a group of neurodegenerative disorders collectively known as synucleinopathies. Despite their shared characteristics, these disorders manifest diverse clinical and pathological phenotypes. The mechanism underlying this heterogeneity is thought to be due to the diversity in the aSyn strains present across the diseases. In this perspective, we will explore recent findings on aSyn strains and discuss recent discoveries about Lewy bodies' composition. We further discuss the current hypothesis for aSyn spreading and emphasize the emerging biomarker field demonstrating promising results. A comprehension of these mechanisms holds substantial promise for future clinical applications. This understanding can pave the way for the development of personalized medicine strategies, specifically targeting the unique underlying causes of each synucleinopathy. Such advancements can revolutionize therapeutic approaches and significantly contribute to more effective interventions in the intricate landscape of neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana F Lázaro
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, 3600 Spruce Street, 3 Maloney Building, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Virginia M-Y Lee
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, 3600 Spruce Street, 3 Maloney Building, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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10
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Kannarkat GT, Zack R, Skrinak RT, Morley JF, Davila-Rivera R, Arezoumandan S, Dorfmann K, Luk K, Wolk DA, Weintraub D, Tropea TF, Lee EB, Xie SX, Chandrasekaran G, Lee VMY, Irwin D, Akhtar RS, Chen-Plotkin AS. α-Synuclein Conformations in Plasma Distinguish Parkinson's Disease from Dementia with Lewy Bodies. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.07.593056. [PMID: 38765963 PMCID: PMC11100683 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.07.593056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Spread and aggregation of misfolded α-synuclein (aSyn) within the brain is the pathologic hallmark of Lewy body diseases (LBD), including Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). While evidence exists for multiple aSyn protein conformations, often termed "strains" for their distinct biological properties, it is unclear whether PD and DLB result from aSyn strain differences, and biomarkers that differentiate PD and DLB are lacking. Moreover, while pathological forms of aSyn have been detected outside the brain ( e.g., in skin, gut, blood), the functional significance of these peripheral aSyn species is unclear. Here, we developed assays using monoclonal antibodies selective for two different aSyn species generated in vitro - termed Strain A and Strain B - and used them to evaluate human brain tissue, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and plasma, through immunohistochemistry, enzyme-linked immunoassay, and immunoblotting. Surprisingly, we found that plasma aSyn species detected by these antibodies differentiated individuals with PD vs. DLB in a discovery cohort (UPenn, n=235, AUC 0.83) and a multi-site replication cohort (Parkinson's Disease Biomarker Program, or PDBP, n=200, AUC 0.72). aSyn plasma species detected by the Strain A antibody also predicted rate of cognitive decline in PD. We found no evidence for aSyn strains in CSF, and ability to template aSyn fibrillization differed for species isolated from plasma vs. brain, and in PD vs. DLB. Taken together, our findings suggest that aSyn conformational differences may impact clinical presentation and cortical spread of pathological aSyn. Moreover, the enrichment of these aSyn strains in plasma implicates a non-central nervous system source.
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11
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Ali NH, Al-Kuraishy HM, Al-Gareeb AI, Alnaaim SA, Hetta HF, Saad HM, Batiha GES. A Mutual Nexus Between Epilepsy and α-Synuclein: A Puzzle Pathway. Mol Neurobiol 2024:10.1007/s12035-024-04204-6. [PMID: 38703341 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-024-04204-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
Alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) is a specific neuronal protein that regulates neurotransmitter release and trafficking of synaptic vesicles. Exosome-associated α-Syn which is specific to the central nervous system (CNS) is involved in the pathogenesis of epilepsy. Therefore, this review aimed to elucidate the possible link between α-Syn and epilepsy, and how it affects the pathophysiology of epilepsy. A neurodegenerative protein such as α-Syn is implicated in the pathogenesis of epilepsy. Evidence from preclinical and clinical studies revealed that upregulation of α-Syn induces progressive neuronal dysfunctions through induction of oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and inhibition of autophagy in a vicious cycle with subsequent development of severe epilepsy. In addition, accumulation of α-Syn in epilepsy could be secondary to the different cellular alterations including oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, reduction of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and progranulin (PGN), and failure of the autophagy pathway. However, the mechanism of α-Syn-induced-epileptogenesis is not well elucidated. Therefore, α-Syn could be a secondary consequence of epilepsy. Preclinical and clinical studies are warranted to confirm this causal relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naif H Ali
- Department of Internal Medicine, Medical College, Najran University, Najran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Hayder M Al-Kuraishy
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Medicine, College of Medicine, Mustansiriyah University, M.B.Ch.B, FRCP, P.O. Box 14132, Baghdad, Iraq
| | - Ali I Al-Gareeb
- Jabir Ibn Hayyan Medical University, Al-Ameer Qu, P.O. Box 13, Kufa, Najaf, Iraq
| | - Saud A Alnaaim
- Clinical Neurosciences Department, College of Medicine, King Faisal University, Hofuf, Saudi Arabia
| | - Helal F Hetta
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, 71515, Egypt
| | - Hebatallah M Saad
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Matrouh University, Matrouh, 51744, Egypt.
| | - Gaber El-Saber Batiha
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Damanhour University, Damanhour, 22511, AlBeheira, Egypt.
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12
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Espay AJ, Lees AJ. Loss of monomeric alpha-synuclein (synucleinopenia) and the origin of Parkinson's disease. Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2024; 122:106077. [PMID: 38461037 DOI: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2024.106077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
These facts argue against the gain-of-function synucleinopathy hypothesis, which proposes that Lewy pathology causes Parkinson's disease: (1) most brains from people without neurological symptoms have multiple pathologies; (2) neither pathology type nor distribution correlate with disease severity or progression in Parkinson's disease; (3) aggregated α-synuclein in the form of Lewy bodies is not a space-occupying lesion but the insoluble fraction of its precursor, soluble monomeric α-synuclein; (4) pathology spread is passive, occurring by irreversible nucleation, not active replication; and (5) low cerebrospinal fluid α-synuclein levels predict brain atrophy and clinical disease progression. The transformation of α-synuclein into Lewy pathology may occur as a response to biological, toxic, or infectious stressors whose persistence perpetuates the nucleation process, depleting normal α-synuclein and eventually leading to Parkinson's symptoms from neuronal death. We propose testing the loss-of-function synucleinopenia hypothesis by evaluating the clinical and neurodegenerative rescue effect of replenishing the levels of monomeric α-synuclein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto J Espay
- James J. and Joan A. Gardner Family Center for Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
| | - Andrew J Lees
- The National Hospital, Queen Square and Reta Lila Weston Institute for Neurological Studies University College London, London, UK
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13
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Xu T, Liu X, Lin X, Xiao J, Zhang D, Ye F, Lu F, Qu J, Zhang J, Chen JF. Abnormal α-Synuclein Aggregates Cause Synaptic- and Microcircuit-Specific Deficits in the Retinal Rod Pathway. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2024; 194:796-809. [PMID: 38395146 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2024.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
α-Synuclein (α-Syn) is a key determinator of Parkinson disease (PD) pathology, but synapse and microcircuit pathologies in the retina underlying visual dysfunction are poorly understood. Herein, histochemical and ultrastructural analyses and ophthalmologic measurements in old transgenic M83 PD model (mice aged 16 to 18 months) indicated that abnormal α-Syn aggregation in the outer plexiform layer (OPL) was associated with degeneration in the C-terminal binding protein 2 (CtBP2)+ ribbon synapses of photoreceptor terminals and protein kinase C alpha (PKCα)+ rod bipolar cell terminals, whereas α-Syn aggregates in the inner retina correlated with the reduction and degeneration of tyrosine hydroxylase- and parvalbumin-positive amacrine cells. Phosphorylated Ser129 α-synuclein expression was strikingly restricted in the OPL, with the most severe degenerations in the entire retina, including mitochondrial degeneration and loss of ribbon synapses in 16- to 18-month-old mice. These synapse- and microcircuit-specific deficits of the rod pathway at the CtBP2+ rod terminals and PKCα+ rod bipolar and amacrine cells were associated with attenuated a- and b-wave amplitudes and oscillatory potentials on the electroretinogram. They were also associated with the impairment of visual functions, including reduced contrast sensitivity and impairment of the middle range of spatial frequencies. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that α-Syn aggregates cause the synapse- and microcircuit-specific deficits of the rod pathway and the most severe damage to the OPL, providing the retinal synaptic and microcircuit basis for visual dysfunctions in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Xu
- Molecular Neuropharmacology Laboratory and the Eye-Brain Research Center, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China; State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Vision Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China; Oujiang Laboratory, Wenzhou, China
| | - Xin Liu
- Molecular Neuropharmacology Laboratory and the Eye-Brain Research Center, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China; State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Vision Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Xin Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Vision Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China; Affiliated Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Jiayi Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Vision Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China; Affiliated Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Di Zhang
- Molecular Neuropharmacology Laboratory and the Eye-Brain Research Center, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China; Affiliated Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Fenfen Ye
- Molecular Neuropharmacology Laboratory and the Eye-Brain Research Center, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China; Affiliated Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Fan Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Vision Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China; Oujiang Laboratory, Wenzhou, China; Affiliated Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Jia Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Vision Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China; Oujiang Laboratory, Wenzhou, China; Affiliated Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Vision Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China; Affiliated Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
| | - Jiang-Fan Chen
- Molecular Neuropharmacology Laboratory and the Eye-Brain Research Center, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China; State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Vision Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China; Oujiang Laboratory, Wenzhou, China.
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14
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Zimmer TS, Orr AL, Orr AG. Astrocytes in selective vulnerability to neurodegenerative disease. Trends Neurosci 2024; 47:289-302. [PMID: 38521710 PMCID: PMC11006581 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2024.02.008] [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: 11/12/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Selective vulnerability of specific brain regions and cell populations is a hallmark of neurodegenerative disorders. Mechanisms of selective vulnerability involve neuronal heterogeneity, functional specializations, and differential sensitivities to stressors and pathogenic factors. In this review we discuss the growing body of literature suggesting that, like neurons, astrocytes are heterogeneous and specialized, respond to and integrate diverse inputs, and induce selective effects on brain function. In disease, astrocytes undergo specific, context-dependent changes that promote different pathogenic trajectories and functional outcomes. We propose that astrocytes contribute to selective vulnerability through maladaptive transitions to context-divergent phenotypes that impair specific brain regions and functions. Further studies on the multifaceted roles of astrocytes in disease may provide new therapeutic approaches to enhance resilience against neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Till S Zimmer
- Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Adam L Orr
- Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anna G Orr
- Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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15
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Wang J, Dai L, Deng M, Xiao T, Zhang Z, Zhang Z. SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein S1 Domain Accelerates α-Synuclein Phosphorylation and Aggregation in Cellular Models of Synucleinopathy. Mol Neurobiol 2024; 61:2446-2458. [PMID: 37897633 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03726-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
The 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease that began to spread globally since 2019. Some COVID-19 patients have neurological complications, such as olfactory disorders and movement disorders, which coincide with the symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). Increasing imaging and autopsy evidence supports that the density of dopaminergic neurons in the nigrostriatal pathway is damaged in some COVID-19 patients. However, the underlying mechanism that causes PD-like symptoms remains unclear. PD is an age-related neurodegenerative disease with Lewy bodies (LBs) as its histopathologic feature. The main component of LBs is abnormally aggregated α-synuclein (α-syn). The prion-like propagation of α-syn aggregates plays a key role in the onset and progression of PD. The spike protein (S protein) of SARS-CoV-2 is a heparin-binding protein that mediates the entry of the virus into host cells. Here we found that the S1 domain interacts with α-syn and promotes α-syn aggregation. The S1 domain induces mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and cytotoxicity. The S1-seeded α-syn fibrils show enhanced seeding activity and induce synaptic damage and cytotoxicity. Thus, the S1 domain of SARS-CoV-2 promotes the aggregation of α-syn in the cellular model of synucleinopathy and may contribute to the pathogenesis of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiannan Wang
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Lijun Dai
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Min Deng
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Tingting Xiao
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Zhaohui Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Zhentao Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China.
- TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430000, China.
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16
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Laferrière F, Sabatier L, Claverol S, De Giorgi F, Ichas F. Biases in α-synuclein immuno-quantitation: a core problem for basic and ancillary studies of Parkinson's disease and multiple system atrophy. Transl Neurodegener 2024; 13:15. [PMID: 38528639 PMCID: PMC10962071 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-024-00408-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - François Ichas
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, IMN, UMR 5293, 33000, Bordeaux, France
- DiSTeBA, Univ. Salento, Anatomia Umana, Lecce, Italy
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17
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Nazeen S, Wang X, Zielinski D, Lam I, Hallacli E, Xu P, Ethier E, Strom R, Zanella CA, Nithianandam V, Ritter D, Henderson A, Saurat N, Afroz J, Nutter-Upham A, Benyamini H, Copty J, Ravishankar S, Morrow A, Mitchel J, Neavin D, Gupta R, Farbehi N, Grundman J, Myers RH, Scherzer CR, Trojanowski JQ, Van Deerlin VM, Cooper AA, Lee EB, Erlich Y, Lindquist S, Peng J, Geschwind DH, Powell J, Studer L, Feany MB, Sunyaev SR, Khurana V. Deep sequencing of proteotoxicity modifier genes uncovers a Presenilin-2/beta-amyloid-actin genetic risk module shared among alpha-synucleinopathies. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.03.583145. [PMID: 38496508 PMCID: PMC10942362 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.03.583145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Whether neurodegenerative diseases linked to misfolding of the same protein share genetic risk drivers or whether different protein-aggregation pathologies in neurodegeneration are mechanistically related remains uncertain. Conventional genetic analyses are underpowered to address these questions. Through careful selection of patients based on protein aggregation phenotype (rather than clinical diagnosis) we can increase statistical power to detect associated variants in a targeted set of genes that modify proteotoxicities. Genetic modifiers of alpha-synuclein (ɑS) and beta-amyloid (Aβ) cytotoxicity in yeast are enriched in risk factors for Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), respectively. Here, along with known AD/PD risk genes, we deeply sequenced exomes of 430 ɑS/Aβ modifier genes in patients across alpha-synucleinopathies (PD, Lewy body dementia and multiple system atrophy). Beyond known PD genes GBA1 and LRRK2, rare variants AD genes (CD33, CR1 and PSEN2) and Aβ toxicity modifiers involved in RhoA/actin cytoskeleton regulation (ARGHEF1, ARHGEF28, MICAL3, PASK, PKN2, PSEN2) were shared risk factors across synucleinopathies. Actin pathology occurred in iPSC synucleinopathy models and RhoA downregulation exacerbated ɑS pathology. Even in sporadic PD, the expression of these genes was altered across CNS cell types. Genome-wide CRISPR screens revealed the essentiality of PSEN2 in both human cortical and dopaminergic neurons, and PSEN2 mutation carriers exhibited diffuse brainstem and cortical synucleinopathy independent of AD pathology. PSEN2 contributes to a common-risk signal in PD GWAS and regulates ɑS expression in neurons. Our results identify convergent mechanisms across synucleinopathies, some shared with AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumaiya Nazeen
- Division of Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Genetics, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xinyuan Wang
- Division of Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dina Zielinski
- Division of Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Whitehead Institute of Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Isabel Lam
- Division of Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Erinc Hallacli
- Division of Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ping Xu
- Division of Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elizabeth Ethier
- Division of Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ronya Strom
- Division of Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Camila A Zanella
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Vanitha Nithianandam
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dylan Ritter
- The Center for Stem Cell Biology, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alexander Henderson
- The Center for Stem Cell Biology, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nathalie Saurat
- The Center for Stem Cell Biology, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jalwa Afroz
- The Center for Stem Cell Biology, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Hadar Benyamini
- Whitehead Institute of Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Joseph Copty
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Autumn Morrow
- Division of Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jonathan Mitchel
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Health Sciences & Technology, Harvard Medical School & Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, MA
| | - Drew Neavin
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Renuka Gupta
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Nona Farbehi
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jennifer Grundman
- Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Richard H Myers
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Clemens R Scherzer
- Division of Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - John Q Trojanowski
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Vivianna M Van Deerlin
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Antony A Cooper
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Edward B Lee
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yaniv Erlich
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Susan Lindquist
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jian Peng
- Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute, Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology and Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Joseph Powell
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Lorenz Studer
- The Center for Stem Cell Biology, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, NY, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Mel B Feany
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Shamil R Sunyaev
- Division of Genetics, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Vikram Khurana
- Division of Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
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18
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Stepanchuk AA, Stys PK. Spectral Fluorescence Pathology of Protein Misfolding Disorders. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:898-908. [PMID: 38407017 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00798] [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] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Protein misfolding has been extensively studied in the context of neurodegenerative disorders and systemic amyloidoses. Due to misfolding and aggregation of proteins being highly heterogeneous and generating a variety of structures, a growing body of evidence illustrates numerous ways how the aggregates contribute to progression of diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and prion disorders. Different misfolded species of the same protein, commonly referred to as strains, appear to play a significant role in shaping the disease clinical phenotype and clinical progression. The distinct toxicity profiles of various misfolded proteins underscore their importance. Current diagnostics struggle to differentiate among these strains early in the disease course. This review explores the potential of spectral fluorescence approaches to illuminate the complexities of protein misfolding pathology and discusses the applications of advanced spectral methods in the detection and characterization of protein misfolding disorders. By examining spectrally variable probes, current data analysis approaches, and important considerations for the use of these techniques, this review aims to provide an overview of the progress made in this field and highlights directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasiia A Stepanchuk
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Peter K Stys
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
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19
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Pan G, Jiang Y, Zhang W, Zhang X, Wang L, Cheng W. Identification of Parkinson's disease subtypes with distinct brain atrophy progression and its association with clinical progression. PSYCHORADIOLOGY 2024; 4:kkae002. [PMID: 38666137 PMCID: PMC10953620 DOI: 10.1093/psyrad/kkae002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Background Parkinson's disease (PD) patients suffer from progressive gray matter volume (GMV) loss, but whether distinct patterns of atrophy progression exist within PD are still unclear. Objective This study aims to identify PD subtypes with different rates of GMV loss and assess their association with clinical progression. Methods This study included 107 PD patients (mean age: 60.06 ± 9.98 years, 70.09% male) with baseline and ≥ 3-year follow-up structural MRI scans. A linear mixed-effects model was employed to assess the rates of regional GMV loss. Hierarchical cluster analysis was conducted to explore potential subtypes based on individual rates of GMV loss. Clinical score changes were then compared across these subtypes. Results Two PD subtypes were identified based on brain atrophy rates. Subtype 1 (n = 63) showed moderate atrophy, notably in the prefrontal and lateral temporal lobes, while Subtype 2 (n = 44) had faster atrophy across the brain, particularly in the lateral temporal region. Furthermore, subtype 2 exhibited faster deterioration in non-motor (MDS-UPDRS-Part Ⅰ, β = 1.26 ± 0.18, P = 0.016) and motor (MDS-UPDRS-Part Ⅱ, β = 1.34 ± 0.20, P = 0.017) symptoms, autonomic dysfunction (SCOPA-AUT, β = 1.15 ± 0.22, P = 0.043), memory (HVLT-Retention, β = -0.02 ± 0.01, P = 0.016) and depression (GDS, β = 0.26 ± 0.083, P = 0.019) compared to subtype 1. Conclusion The study has identified two PD subtypes with distinct patterns of atrophy progression and clinical progression, which may have implications for developing personalized treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoqing Pan
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
- Fudan ISTBI—ZJNU Algorithm Centre for Brain-inspired Intelligence, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Yuchao Jiang
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200433, China
- Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200433, China
- Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Xuejuan Zhang
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
- Fudan ISTBI—ZJNU Algorithm Centre for Brain-inspired Intelligence, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Linbo Wang
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200433, China
- Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Wei Cheng
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200433, China
- Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center, Shanghai 201210, China
- Shanghai Medical College and Zhongshan Hospital Immunotherapy Technology Transfer Center, Shanghai 200032, China
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20
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Hu C, Yan Y, Jin Y, Yang J, Xi Y, Zhong Z. Decoding the Cellular Trafficking of Prion-like Proteins in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Neurosci Bull 2024; 40:241-254. [PMID: 37755677 PMCID: PMC10838874 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-023-01115-9] [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: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The accumulation and spread of prion-like proteins is a key feature of neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. In a process known as 'seeding', prion-like proteins such as amyloid beta, microtubule-associated protein tau, α-synuclein, silence superoxide dismutase 1, or transactive response DNA-binding protein 43 kDa, propagate their misfolded conformations by transforming their respective soluble monomers into fibrils. Cellular and molecular evidence of prion-like propagation in NDs, the clinical relevance of their 'seeding' capacities, and their levels of contribution towards disease progression have been intensively studied over recent years. This review unpacks the cyclic prion-like propagation in cells including factors of aggregate internalization, endo-lysosomal leaking, aggregate degradation, and secretion. Debates on the importance of the role of prion-like protein aggregates in NDs, whether causal or consequent, are also discussed. Applications lead to a greater understanding of ND pathogenesis and increased potential for therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenjun Hu
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital and Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Yiqun Yan
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital and Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Yanhong Jin
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital and Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Jun Yang
- Department of Physiology and Department of Cardiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Yongmei Xi
- Division of Human Reproduction and Developmental Genetics, Women's Hospital and Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, China.
| | - Zhen Zhong
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital and Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
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21
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Aubrey LD, Ninkina N, Ulamec SM, Abramycheva NY, Vasili E, Devine OM, Wilkinson M, Mackinnon E, Limorenko G, Walko M, Muwanga S, Amadio L, Peters OM, Illarioshkin SN, Outeiro TF, Ranson NA, Brockwell DJ, Buchman VL, Radford SE. Substitution of Met-38 to Ile in γ-synuclein found in two patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis induces aggregation into amyloid. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2309700120. [PMID: 38170745 PMCID: PMC10786281 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2309700120] [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: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
α-, β-, and γ-Synuclein are intrinsically disordered proteins implicated in physiological processes in the nervous system of vertebrates. α-synuclein (αSyn) is the amyloidogenic protein associated with Parkinson's disease and certain other neurodegenerative disorders. Intensive research has focused on the mechanisms that cause αSyn to form amyloid structures, identifying its NAC region as being necessary and sufficient for amyloid assembly. Recent work has shown that a 7-residue sequence (P1) is necessary for αSyn amyloid formation. Although γ-synuclein (γSyn) is 55% identical in sequence to αSyn and its pathological deposits are also observed in association with neurodegenerative conditions, γSyn is resilient to amyloid formation in vitro. Here, we report a rare single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the SNCG gene encoding γSyn, found in two patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The SNP results in the substitution of Met38 with Ile in the P1 region of the protein. These individuals also had a second, common and nonpathological, SNP in SNCG resulting in the substitution of Glu110 with Val. In vitro studies demonstrate that the Ile38 variant accelerates amyloid fibril assembly. Contrastingly, Val110 retards fibril assembly and mitigates the effect of Ile38. Substitution of residue 38 with Leu had little effect, while Val retards, and Ala increases the rate of amyloid formation. Ile38 γSyn also results in the formation of γSyn-containing inclusions in cells. The results show how a single point substitution can enhance amyloid formation of γSyn and highlight the P1 region in driving amyloid formation in another synuclein family member.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam D. Aubrey
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Science, University of Leeds, LeedsLS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Natalia Ninkina
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, CardiffCF10 3AX, United Kingdom
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Belgorod State National Research University, Belgorod308015, Russian Federation
| | - Sabine M. Ulamec
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Science, University of Leeds, LeedsLS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Natalia Y. Abramycheva
- Laboratory of Neurobiology and Tissue Engineering, Brain Science Institute, Research Center of Neurology, Moscow125367, Russia
| | - Eftychia Vasili
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, LausanneCH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Oliver M. Devine
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Science, University of Leeds, LeedsLS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Martin Wilkinson
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Science, University of Leeds, LeedsLS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Eilish Mackinnon
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, CardiffCF10 3AX, United Kingdom
| | - Galina Limorenko
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, CardiffCF10 3AX, United Kingdom
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, LausanneCH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Martin Walko
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Science, University of Leeds, LeedsLS2 9JT, United Kingdom
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, LeedsLS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Muwanga
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, CardiffCF10 3AX, United Kingdom
| | - Leonardo Amadio
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, CardiffCF10 3AX, United Kingdom
| | - Owen M. Peters
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, CardiffCF10 3AX, United Kingdom
| | - Sergey N. Illarioshkin
- Laboratory of Neurobiology and Tissue Engineering, Brain Science Institute, Research Center of Neurology, Moscow125367, Russia
| | - Tiago F. Outeiro
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen37075, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Goettingen37075, Germany
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon TyneNE2 4HH, United Kingdom
- Scientific employee with a honorary contract at Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, Göttingen37075, Germany
| | - Neil A. Ranson
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Science, University of Leeds, LeedsLS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - David J. Brockwell
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Science, University of Leeds, LeedsLS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Vladimir L. Buchman
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, CardiffCF10 3AX, United Kingdom
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Belgorod State National Research University, Belgorod308015, Russian Federation
| | - Sheena E. Radford
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Science, University of Leeds, LeedsLS2 9JT, United Kingdom
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22
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Germain K, So RWL, DiGiovanni LF, Watts JC, Bandsma RHJ, Kim PK. Upregulated pexophagy limits the capacity of selective autophagy. Nat Commun 2024; 15:375. [PMID: 38195640 PMCID: PMC10776696 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44005-4] [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: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Selective autophagy is an essential process to maintain cellular homeostasis through the constant recycling of damaged or superfluous components. Over a dozen selective autophagy pathways mediate the degradation of diverse cellular substrates, but whether these pathways can influence one another remains unknown. We address this question using pexophagy, the autophagic degradation of peroxisomes, as a model. We show in cells that upregulated pexophagy impairs the selective autophagy of both mitochondria and protein aggregates by exhausting the autophagy initiation factor, ULK1. We confirm this finding in cell models of the pexophagy-mediated form of Zellweger Spectrum Disorder, a disease characterized by peroxisome dysfunction. Further, we extend the generalizability of limited selective autophagy by determining that increased protein aggregate degradation reciprocally reduces pexophagy using cell models of Parkinson's Disease and Huntington's Disease. Our findings suggest that the degradative capacity of selective autophagy can become limited by an increase in one substrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyla Germain
- Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Raphaella W L So
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Laura F DiGiovanni
- Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Joel C Watts
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Robert H J Bandsma
- Translational Medicine Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada.
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S1A8, Canada.
| | - Peter K Kim
- Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada.
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.
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23
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Wiseman JA, Murray HC, Faull RLMF, Dragunow M, Turner CP, Dieriks BV, Curtis MA. Aggregate-prone brain regions in Parkinson's disease are rich in unique N-terminus α-synuclein conformers with high proteolysis susceptibility. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2024; 10:1. [PMID: 38167744 PMCID: PMC10762179 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-023-00614-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
In Parkinson's disease (PD), and other α-synucleinopathies, α-synuclein (α-Syn) aggregates form a myriad of conformational and truncational variants. Most antibodies used to detect and quantify α-Syn in the human brain target epitopes within the C-terminus (residues 96-140) of the 140 amino acid protein and may fail to capture the diversity of α-Syn variants present in PD. We sought to investigate the heterogeneity of α-Syn conformations and aggregation states in the PD human brain by labelling with multiple antibodies that detect epitopes along the entire length of α-Syn. We used multiplex immunohistochemistry to simultaneously immunolabel tissue sections with antibodies mapping the three structural domains of α-Syn. Discrete epitope-specific immunoreactivities were visualised and quantified in the olfactory bulb, medulla, substantia nigra, hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, middle temporal gyrus, and middle frontal gyrus of ten PD cases, and the middle temporal gyrus of 23 PD, and 24 neurologically normal cases. Distinct Lewy neurite and Lewy body aggregate morphologies were detected across all interrogated regions/cases. Lewy neurites were the most prominent in the olfactory bulb and hippocampus, while the substantia nigra, medulla and cortical regions showed a mixture of Lewy neurites and Lewy bodies. Importantly, unique N-terminus immunoreactivity revealed previously uncharacterised populations of (1) perinuclear, (2) glial (microglial and astrocytic), and (3) neuronal lysosomal α-Syn aggregates. These epitope-specific N-terminus immunoreactive aggregate populations were susceptible to proteolysis via time-dependent proteinase K digestion, suggesting a less stable oligomeric aggregation state. Our identification of unique N-terminus immunoreactive α-Syn aggregates adds to the emerging paradigm that α-Syn pathology is more abundant and complex in human brains with PD than previously realised. Our findings highlight that labelling multiple regions of the α-Syn protein is necessary to investigate the full spectrum of α-Syn pathology and prompt further investigation into the functional role of these N-terminus polymorphs.
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Affiliation(s)
- James A Wiseman
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand.
| | - Helen C Murray
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand
| | - Richard L M F Faull
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand
| | - Michael Dragunow
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand
| | - Clinton P Turner
- LabPlus, Department of Anatomical Pathology, Te Whatu Ora, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Birger Victor Dieriks
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand
| | - Maurice A Curtis
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand.
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24
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Khedmatgozar CR, Holec SAM, Woerman AL. The role of α-synuclein prion strains in Parkinson's disease and multiple system atrophy. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1011920. [PMID: 38271292 PMCID: PMC10810466 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Chase R. Khedmatgozar
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Prion Research Center, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Sara A. M. Holec
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Prion Research Center, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Amanda L. Woerman
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Prion Research Center, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
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25
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Tarutani A, Hasegawa M. Ultrastructures of α-Synuclein Filaments in Synucleinopathy Brains and Experimental Models. J Mov Disord 2024; 17:15-29. [PMID: 37990381 PMCID: PMC10846975 DOI: 10.14802/jmd.23213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Intracellular α-synuclein (α-syn) inclusions are a neuropathological hallmark of Lewy body disease (LBD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA), both of which are termed synucleinopathies. LBD is defined by Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites in neurons, while MSA displays glial cytoplasmic inclusions in oligodendrocytes. Pathological α-syn adopts an ordered filamentous structure with a 5-10 nm filament diameter, and this conformational change has been suggested to be involved in the disease onset and progression. Synucleinopathies also exhibit characteristic ultrastructural and biochemical properties of α-syn filaments, and α-syn strains with distinct conformations have been identified. Numerous experimental studies have supported the idea that pathological α-syn self-amplifies and spreads throughout the brain, during which processes the conformation of α-syn filaments may drive the disease specificity. In this review, we summarize the ultrastructural features and heterogeneity of α-syn filaments in the brains of patients with synucleinopathy and in experimental models of seeded α-syn aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Airi Tarutani
- Department of Brain and Neurosciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masato Hasegawa
- Department of Brain and Neurosciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
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26
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Boyton I, Valenzuela SM, Collins-Praino LE, Care A. Neuronanomedicine for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease: Current progress and a guide to improve clinical translation. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 115:631-651. [PMID: 37967664 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuronanomedicine is an emerging multidisciplinary field that aims to create innovative nanotechnologies to treat major neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). A key component of neuronanomedicine are nanoparticles, which can improve drug properties and demonstrate enhanced safety and delivery across the blood-brain barrier, a major improvement on existing therapeutic approaches. In this review, we critically analyze the latest nanoparticle-based strategies to modify underlying disease pathology to slow or halt AD/PD progression. We find that a major roadblock for neuronanomedicine translation to date is a poor understanding of how nanoparticles interact with biological systems (i.e., bio-nano interactions), which is partly due to inconsistent reporting in published works. Accordingly, this review makes a set of specific recommendations to help guide researchers to harness the unique properties of nanoparticles and thus realise breakthrough treatments for AD/PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- India Boyton
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Gadigal Country, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Stella M Valenzuela
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Gadigal Country, NSW 2007, Australia
| | | | - Andrew Care
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Gadigal Country, NSW 2007, Australia.
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27
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Bétemps D, Arsac JN, Nicot S, Canal D, Tlili H, Belondrade M, Morignat E, Verchère J, Gaillard D, Bruyère-Ostells L, Mayran C, Lakhdar L, Bougard D, Baron T. Protease-Sensitive and -Resistant Forms of Human and Murine Alpha-Synucleins in Distinct Brain Regions of Transgenic Mice (M83) Expressing the Human Mutated A53T Protein. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1788. [PMID: 38136658 PMCID: PMC10741842 DOI: 10.3390/biom13121788] [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: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Human neurodegenerative diseases associated with the misfolding of the alpha-synuclein (aS) protein (synucleinopathies) are similar to prion diseases to the extent that lesions are spread by similar molecular mechanisms. In a transgenic mouse model (M83) overexpressing a mutated (A53T) form of human aS, we had previously found that Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification (PMCA) triggered the aggregation of aS, which is associated with a high resistance to the proteinase K (PK) digestion of both human and murine aS, a major hallmark of the disease-associated prion protein. In addition, PMCA was also able to trigger the aggregation of murine aS in C57Bl/6 mouse brains after seeding with sick M83 mouse brains. Here, we show that intracerebral inoculations of M83 mice with C57Bl/6-PMCA samples strikingly shortens the incubation period before the typical paralysis that develops in this transgenic model, demonstrating the pathogenicity of PMCA-aggregated murine aS. In the hind brain regions of these sick M83 mice containing lesions with an accumulation of aS phosphorylated at serine 129, aS also showed a high PK resistance in the N-terminal part of the protein. In contrast to M83 mice, old APPxM83 mice co-expressing human mutated amyloid precursor and presenilin 1 proteins were seen to have an aggregation of aS, especially in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus and striatum, which also contained the highest load of aS phosphorylated at serine 129. This was proven by three techniques: a Western blot analysis of PK-resistant aS; an ELISA detection of aS aggregates; or the identification of aggregates of aS using immunohistochemical analyses of cytoplasmic/neuritic aS deposits. The results obtained with the D37A6 antibody suggest a higher involvement of murine aS in APPxM83 mice than in M83 mice. Our study used novel tools for the molecular study of synucleinopathies, which highlight similarities with the molecular mechanisms involved in prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominique Bétemps
- ANSES (French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety), University of Lyon, 69364 Lyon, France; (D.B.); (J.-N.A.); (D.C.); (H.T.); (E.M.); (J.V.); (D.G.); (L.L.)
| | - Jean-Noël Arsac
- ANSES (French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety), University of Lyon, 69364 Lyon, France; (D.B.); (J.-N.A.); (D.C.); (H.T.); (E.M.); (J.V.); (D.G.); (L.L.)
| | - Simon Nicot
- Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic and Emerging Infections, University of Montpellier, Inserm, Etablissement Français Du Sang, 34493 Montpellier, France; (S.N.); (M.B.); (L.B.-O.); (C.M.); (D.B.)
| | - Dominique Canal
- ANSES (French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety), University of Lyon, 69364 Lyon, France; (D.B.); (J.-N.A.); (D.C.); (H.T.); (E.M.); (J.V.); (D.G.); (L.L.)
| | - Habiba Tlili
- ANSES (French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety), University of Lyon, 69364 Lyon, France; (D.B.); (J.-N.A.); (D.C.); (H.T.); (E.M.); (J.V.); (D.G.); (L.L.)
| | - Maxime Belondrade
- Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic and Emerging Infections, University of Montpellier, Inserm, Etablissement Français Du Sang, 34493 Montpellier, France; (S.N.); (M.B.); (L.B.-O.); (C.M.); (D.B.)
| | - Eric Morignat
- ANSES (French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety), University of Lyon, 69364 Lyon, France; (D.B.); (J.-N.A.); (D.C.); (H.T.); (E.M.); (J.V.); (D.G.); (L.L.)
| | - Jérémy Verchère
- ANSES (French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety), University of Lyon, 69364 Lyon, France; (D.B.); (J.-N.A.); (D.C.); (H.T.); (E.M.); (J.V.); (D.G.); (L.L.)
| | - Damien Gaillard
- ANSES (French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety), University of Lyon, 69364 Lyon, France; (D.B.); (J.-N.A.); (D.C.); (H.T.); (E.M.); (J.V.); (D.G.); (L.L.)
| | - Lilian Bruyère-Ostells
- Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic and Emerging Infections, University of Montpellier, Inserm, Etablissement Français Du Sang, 34493 Montpellier, France; (S.N.); (M.B.); (L.B.-O.); (C.M.); (D.B.)
| | - Charly Mayran
- Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic and Emerging Infections, University of Montpellier, Inserm, Etablissement Français Du Sang, 34493 Montpellier, France; (S.N.); (M.B.); (L.B.-O.); (C.M.); (D.B.)
| | - Latifa Lakhdar
- ANSES (French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety), University of Lyon, 69364 Lyon, France; (D.B.); (J.-N.A.); (D.C.); (H.T.); (E.M.); (J.V.); (D.G.); (L.L.)
| | - Daisy Bougard
- Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic and Emerging Infections, University of Montpellier, Inserm, Etablissement Français Du Sang, 34493 Montpellier, France; (S.N.); (M.B.); (L.B.-O.); (C.M.); (D.B.)
| | - Thierry Baron
- ANSES (French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety), University of Lyon, 69364 Lyon, France; (D.B.); (J.-N.A.); (D.C.); (H.T.); (E.M.); (J.V.); (D.G.); (L.L.)
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28
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Seger A, Ophey A, Doppler CEJ, Kickartz J, Lindner MS, Hommelsen M, Fink GR, Sommerauer M. Clinical subtypes in patients with isolated REM sleep behaviour disorder. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2023; 9:155. [PMID: 37978183 PMCID: PMC10656506 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-023-00598-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) show a broad heterogeneity in clinical presentation, and subtypes may already arise in prodromal disease stages. Isolated REM sleep behaviour disorder (iRBD) is the most specific marker of prodromal PD, but data on clinical subtyping of patients with iRBD remain scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to identify iRBD subtypes. We conducted comprehensive clinical assessments in 66 patients with polysomnography-proven iRBD, including motor and non-motor evaluations, and applied a two-step cluster analysis. Besides, we compared iRBD clusters to matched healthy controls and related the resulting cluster solution to cortical and subcortical grey matter volumes by voxel-based morphometry analysis. We identified two distinct subtypes of patients based on olfactory function, dominant electroencephalography frequency, amount of REM sleep without atonia, depressive symptoms, disease duration, and motor functions. One iRBD cluster (Cluster I, late onset-aggressive) was characterised by higher non-motor symptom burden despite shorter disease duration than the more benign subtype (Cluster II, early onset-benign). Motor functions were comparable between the clusters. Patients from Cluster I were significantly older at iRBD onset and exhibited a widespread reduction of cortical grey matter volume compared to patients from Cluster II. In conclusion, our findings suggest the existence of clinical subtypes already in the prodromal stage of PD. Future longitudinal studies are warranted that replicate these findings and investigate the risk of the more aggressive phenotype for earlier phenoconversion and dementia development.
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Grants
- M. Sommerauer received grants from the Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung (grant number 2019_EKES.02), and the Koeln Fortune Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne (grant number 453/2018, 343/2020, and 466/2020). MS is receiving funding from the program " Netzwerke 2021", an initiative of the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of Northrhine Westphalia.
- A. Ophey received a grant from the Koeln Fortune Program (grant-no. 329/2021), Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, and the “Novartis-Stiftung für therapeutische Forschung”, both outside the submitted work.
- C. E. J. Doppler received grants from the Clinician Scientist Program (CCSP), funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG, FI 773/15-1).
- G. R. Fink receives royalties from the publication of the books Funktionelle MRT in Psychiatrie und Neurologie, Neurologische Differentialdiagnose, and SOP Neurologie and received honoraria for speaking engagements from Forum für medizinische Fortbildung FomF GmbH as well as grants from Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation), Project-ID 431549029, SFB 1451.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline Seger
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Neurology, Cologne, Germany
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Anja Ophey
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Medical Psychology | Neuropsychology and Gender Studies & Center for Neuropsychological Diagnostics and Interventions (CeNDI), Cologne, Germany
| | - Christopher E J Doppler
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Neurology, Cologne, Germany
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Johanna Kickartz
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Neurology, Cologne, Germany
| | - Marie-Sophie Lindner
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Neurology, Cologne, Germany
| | - Maximilian Hommelsen
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Gereon R Fink
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Neurology, Cologne, Germany
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Michael Sommerauer
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Neurology, Cologne, Germany.
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
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29
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Wallace HM, Yang H, Tan S, Pan HS, Yang R, Xu J, Jo H, Condello C, Polizzi NF, DeGrado WF. De novo Design of Peptides that Bind Specific Conformers of α-Synuclein. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.14.567090. [PMID: 38014268 PMCID: PMC10680688 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.14.567090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Insoluble amyloids rich in cross-β fibrils are observed in a number of neurodegenerative diseases. Depending on the clinicopathology, the amyloids can adopt distinct supramolecular assemblies, termed conformational strains. However, rapid methods to study amyloid in a conformationally specific manner are lacking. We introduce a novel computational method for de novo design of peptides that tile the surface of α-synuclein fibrils in a conformationally specific manner. Our method begins by identifying surfaces that are unique to the conformational strain of interest, which becomes a "target backbone" for the design of a peptide binder. Next, we interrogate structures in the PDB database with high geometric complementarity to the target. Then, we identify secondary structural motifs that interact with this target backbone in a favorable, highly occurring geometry. This method produces monomeric helical motifs with a favorable geometry for interaction with the strands of the underlying amyloid. Each motif is then symmetrically replicated to form a monolayer that tiles the amyloid surface. Finally, amino acid sequences of the peptide binders are computed to provide a sequence with high geometric and physicochemical complementarity to the target amyloid. This method was applied to a conformational strain of α-synuclein fibrils, resulting in a peptide with high specificity for the target relative to other amyloids formed by α-synuclein, tau, or Aβ40. This designed peptide also markedly slowed the formation of α-synuclein amyloids. Overall, this method offers a new tool for examining conformational strains of amyloid proteins.
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30
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Xiao B, Tan EK. Targeting α-synuclein and c-Abl in Parkinson's disease. Trends Mol Med 2023; 29:883-885. [PMID: 37500382 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2023.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
In this forum article we present the latest progress on therapeutic-based research focusing on α-synuclein and c-Abl in Parkinson's disease (PD). We highlight the challenges and potential solutions that may facilitate development of these novel therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Xiao
- Department of Neurology, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore.
| | - Eng-King Tan
- Department of Neurology, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore; Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore.
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31
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Dai L, Wang J, Zhang X, Yan M, Zhou L, Zhang G, Meng L, Chen L, Cao X, Zhang Z, Wang G, Zhang Z. 27-Hydroxycholesterol Drives the Spread of α-Synuclein Pathology in Parkinson's Disease. Mov Disord 2023; 38:2005-2018. [PMID: 37593929 DOI: 10.1002/mds.29577] [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: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The accumulation and aggregation of α-synuclein (α-Syn) are characteristic of Parkinson's disease (PD). Epidemiological evidence indicates that hyperlipidemia is associated with an increased risk of PD. The levels of 27-hydroxycholesterol (27-OHC), a cholesterol oxidation derivative, are increased in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with PD. However, whether 27-OHC plays a role in α-Syn aggregation and propagation remains elusive. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to determine whether 27-OHC regulates α-Syn aggregation and propagation. METHODS Purified recombinant α-Syn, neuronal cultures, and α-Syn fibril-injected mouse model of PD were treated with 27-OHC. In addition, CYP27A1 knockout mice were used to investigate the effect of lowering 27-OHC on α-Syn pathology in vivo. RESULTS 27-OHC accelerates the aggregation of α-Syn and enhances the seeding activity of α-Syn fibrils. Furthermore, the 27-OHC-modified α-Syn fibrils localize to the mitochondria and induce mitochondrial dysfunction and neurotoxicity. Injection of 27-OHC-modified α-Syn fibrils induces enhanced spread of α-Syn pathology and dopaminergic neurodegeneration compared with pure α-Syn fibrils. Similarly, subcutaneous administration of 27-OHC facilitates the seeding of α-Syn pathology. Genetic deletion of cytochrome P450 27A1 (CYP27A1), the enzyme that converts cholesterol to 27-OHC, ameliorates the spread of pathologic α-Syn, degeneration of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway, and motor impairments. These results indicate that the cholesterol metabolite 27-OHC plays an important role in the pathogenesis of PD. CONCLUSIONS 27-OHC promotes the aggregation and spread of α-Syn. Strategies aimed at inhibiting the CYP27A1-27-OHC axis may hold promise as a disease-modifying therapy to halt the progression of α-Syn pathology in PD. © 2023 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijun Dai
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jiannan Wang
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xingyu Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Mingmin Yan
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Lingyan Zhou
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Guoxin Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Lanxia Meng
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Liam Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Xuebing Cao
- Department of Neurology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhaohui Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Gaohua Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhentao Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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Stepanchuk AA, Stys PK. Amyloid dye pairs as spectral sensors for enhanced detection and differentiation of misfolded proteins. JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY. B, BIOLOGY 2023; 248:112786. [PMID: 37742497 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2023.112786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Protein misfolding with subsequent formation of cross-β-sheet-rich fibrils is a well-known pathological hallmark of various neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent evidence suggests that specific protein conformations may be the primary drivers of disease progression, differentiation of which remains a challenge with conventional methods. We have previously described a unique phenomenon of light-induced fluorescence enhancement and spectral changes of the amyloid dyes K114 and BSB, and demonstrated its utility in characterizing different amyloid fibrils. In this study, we further characterize and explore the potential of photoconversion, coupled with dual-probe staining, for improved detection of heterogeneity of amyloids using silk fibers and 5xFAD mouse brain sections. BSB and K114 were paired with either Nile Red or MCAAD-3, aiming to increase the sensitivity and specificity of staining and misfolded protein detection via complementary binding and FRET. Principal component analysis of spectral data revealed significant differences between various amyloids, and was able to detect subtle amyloid pathology in the 5xFAD mouse background brain parenchyma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasiia A Stepanchuk
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Peter K Stys
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, AB, Canada.
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Uemura N, Marotta NP, Ara J, Meymand ES, Zhang B, Kameda H, Koike M, Luk KC, Trojanowski JQ, Lee VMY. α-Synuclein aggregates amplified from patient-derived Lewy bodies recapitulate Lewy body diseases in mice. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6892. [PMID: 37898614 PMCID: PMC10613245 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42705-5] [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: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Extraction of α-Synuclein (αSyn) aggregates from Lewy body disease (LBD) brains has been widely described yet templated fibrillization of LB-αSyn often fails to propagate its structural and functional properties. We recently demonstrated that aggregates amplified from LB-αSyn (ampLB) show distinct biological activities in vitro compared to human αSyn preformed fibrils (hPFF) formed de novo. Here we compare the in vivo biological activities of hPFF and ampLB regarding seeding activity, latency in inducing pathology, distribution of pathology, inclusion morphology, and cell-type preference. Injection of ampLB into mice expressing only human αSyn (male Thy1:SNCA/Snca-/- mice) induced pathologies similar to those of LBD subjects that were distinct from those induced by hPFF-injection or developing spontaneously with aging. Importantly, αSyn aggregates in ampLB-injected Thy1:SNCA/Snca-/- mice maintained the unique biological and conformational features of original LB-αSyn. These results indicate that ampLB-injection, rather than conventional PFF-injection or αSyn overexpression, faithfully models key aspects of LBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norihito Uemura
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-2676, USA.
| | - Nicholas P Marotta
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-2676, USA
| | - Jahan Ara
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-2676, USA
| | - Emily S Meymand
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-2676, USA
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-2676, USA
| | - Hiroshi Kameda
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masato Koike
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kelvin C Luk
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-2676, USA
| | - John Q Trojanowski
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-2676, USA
| | - Virginia M-Y Lee
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-2676, USA.
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Singh BP, Morris RJ, Kunath T, MacPhee CE, Horrocks MH. Lipid-induced polymorphic amyloid fibril formation by α-synuclein. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4736. [PMID: 37515406 PMCID: PMC10521247 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Many proteins that self-assemble into amyloid and amyloid-like fibers can adopt diverse polymorphic forms. These forms have been observed both in vitro and in vivo and can arise through variations in the steric-zipper interactions between β-sheets, variations in the arrangements between protofilaments, and differences in the number of protofilaments that make up a given fiber class. Different polymorphs arising from the same precursor molecule not only exhibit different levels of toxicity, but importantly can contribute to different disease conditions. However, the factors which contribute to formation of polymorphic forms of amyloid fibrils are not known. In this work, we show that in the presence of 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-L-serine, a highly abundant lipid in the plasma membrane of neurons, the aggregation of α-synuclein is markedly accelerated and yields a diversity of polymorphic forms under identical experimental conditions. This morphological diversity includes thin and curly fibrils, helical ribbons, twisted ribbons, nanotubes, and flat sheets. Furthermore, the amyloid fibrils formed incorporate lipids into their structures, which corroborates the previous report of the presence of α-synuclein fibrils with high lipid content in Lewy bodies. Thus, the present study demonstrates that an interface, such as that provided by a lipid membrane, can not only modulate the kinetics of α-synuclein amyloid aggregation but also plays an important role in the formation of morphological variants by incorporating lipid molecules in the process of amyloid fibril formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhanu P. Singh
- School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
- EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, The University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Ryan J. Morris
- School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Tilo Kunath
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, The University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Cait E. MacPhee
- School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Mathew H. Horrocks
- EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, The University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
- IRR Chemistry Hub, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, The University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
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35
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Martinez-Valbuena I, Lee S, Santamaria E, Irigoyen JF, Forrest S, Li J, Tanaka H, Couto B, Reyes NG, Qamar H, Karakani AM, Kim A, Senkevich K, Rogaeva E, Fox SH, Tartaglia C, Visanji NP, Andrews T, Lang AE, Kovacs GG. 4R-Tau seeding activity unravels molecular subtypes in patients with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.28.559953. [PMID: 37808843 PMCID: PMC10557711 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.28.559953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Progressive Supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a 4-repeat (4-R) tauopathy. We hypothesized that the molecular diversity of tau could explain the heterogeneity seen in PSP disease progression. To test this hypothesis, we performed an extensive biochemical characterisation of the high molecular weight tau species (HMW-Tau) in 20 different brain regions of 25 PSP patients. We found a correlation between the HMW-Tau species and tau seeding capacity in the primary motor cortex, where we confirmed that an elevated 4R-Tau seeding activity correlates with a shorter disease duration. To identify factors that contribute to these differences, we performed proteomic and spatial transcriptomic analysis that revealed key mechanistic pathways, in particular those involving the immune system, that defined patients demonstrating high and low tau seeding capacity. These observations suggest that differences in the tau seeding activity may contribute to the considerable heterogeneity seen in disease progression of patients suffering from PSP.
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36
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Zhang S, Dauer K, Strohäker T, Tatenhorst L, Caldi Gomes L, Mayer S, Jung BC, Kim WS, Lee S, Becker S, Liesche‐Starnecker F, Zweckstetter M, Lingor P. Alpha-synuclein fibrils amplified from multiple system atrophy and Parkinson's disease patient brain spread after intracerebral injection into mouse brain. Brain Pathol 2023; 33:e13196. [PMID: 37485772 PMCID: PMC10467043 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.13196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD), multiple system atrophy (MSA), and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) are neurodegenerative disorders with alpha-synuclein (α-syn) aggregation pathology. Different strains of α-syn with unique properties are suggested to cause distinct clinical and pathological manifestations resulting in PD, MSA, or DLB. To study individual α-syn spreading patterns, we injected α-syn fibrils amplified from brain homogenates of two MSA patients and two PD patients into the brains of C57BI6/J mice. Antibody staining against pS129-α-syn showed that α-syn fibrils amplified from the brain homogenates of the four different patients caused different levels of α-syn spreading. The strongest α-syn pathology was triggered by α-syn fibrils of one of the two MSA patients, followed by comparable pS129-α-syn induction by the second MSA and one PD patient material. Histological analysis using an antibody against Iba1 further showed that the formation of pS129-α-syn is associated with increased microglia activation. In contrast, no differences in dopaminergic neuron numbers or co-localization of α-syn in oligodendrocytes were observed between the different groups. Our data support the spreading of α-syn pathology in MSA, while at the same time pointing to spreading heterogeneity between different patients potentially driven by individual patient immanent factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuyu Zhang
- Clinical Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University Hospital rechts der IsarTechnical University of MunichMunichGermany
| | - Karina Dauer
- Department of NeurologyUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Center for Biostructural Imaging of NeurodegenerationUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
| | - Timo Strohäker
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)GöttingenGermany
| | - Lars Tatenhorst
- Department of NeurologyUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Center for Biostructural Imaging of NeurodegenerationUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
| | - Lucas Caldi Gomes
- Clinical Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University Hospital rechts der IsarTechnical University of MunichMunichGermany
- Department of NeurologyUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Center for Biostructural Imaging of NeurodegenerationUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
| | - Simon Mayer
- Clinical Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University Hospital rechts der IsarTechnical University of MunichMunichGermany
| | - Byung Chul Jung
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience Research Institute, Convergence Research Center for Dementia, College of MedicineSeoul National UniversitySeoulSouth Korea
| | - Woojin S. Kim
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Brain and Mind Centre and School of Medical SciencesThe University of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- School of Medical SciencesUniversity of New South Wales and Neuroscience Research AustraliaRandwickNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Seung‐Jae Lee
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience Research Institute, Convergence Research Center for Dementia, College of MedicineSeoul National UniversitySeoulSouth Korea
| | - Stefan Becker
- Department of NMR Based Structural BiologyMax Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary SciencesGöttingenGermany
| | - Friederike Liesche‐Starnecker
- Department of Neuropathology, Institute of Pathology, School of MedicineTechnical University MunichMunichGermany
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Diagnostics, Medical FacultyUniversity of AugsburgAugsburgGermany
| | - Markus Zweckstetter
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)GöttingenGermany
- Department of NMR Based Structural BiologyMax Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary SciencesGöttingenGermany
| | - Paul Lingor
- Clinical Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University Hospital rechts der IsarTechnical University of MunichMunichGermany
- Department of NeurologyUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Center for Biostructural Imaging of NeurodegenerationUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
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Wojewska MJ, Otero-Jimenez M, Guijarro-Nuez J, Alegre-Abarrategui J. Beyond Strains: Molecular Diversity in Alpha-Synuclein at the Center of Disease Heterogeneity. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13199. [PMID: 37686005 PMCID: PMC10487421 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241713199] [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: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Alpha-synucleinopathies (α-synucleinopathies) such as Parkinson's disease (PD), Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and multiple system atrophy (MSA) are all characterized by aggregates of alpha-synuclein (α-syn), but display heterogeneous clinical and pathological phenotypes. The mechanism underlying this heterogeneity is thought to be due to diversity in the α-syn strains present across the diseases. α-syn obtained from the post-mortem brain of patients who lived with these conditions is heterogenous, and displays a different protease sensitivity, ultrastructure, cytotoxicity, and seeding potential. The primary aim of this review is to summarize previous studies investigating these concepts, which not only reflect the idea of different syn strains being present, but demonstrate that each property explains a small part of a much larger puzzle. Strains of α-syn appear at the center of the correlation between α-syn properties and the disease phenotype, likely influenced by external factors. There are considerable similarities in the properties of disease-specific α-syn strains, but MSA seems to consistently display more aggressive traits. Elucidating the molecular underpinnings of heterogeneity amongst α-synucleinopathies holds promise for future clinical translation, allowing for the development of personalized medicine approaches tackling the root cause of each α-synucleinopathy.
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Gram H, Theologidis V, Boesen T, Jensen PH. Sarkosyl differentially solubilizes patient-derived alpha-synuclein fibril strains. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1177556. [PMID: 37621995 PMCID: PMC10445646 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1177556] [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: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Insoluble α-synuclein (αSyn) filaments in brain tissue are a hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD) and Multiple system atrophy (MSA), and for structural studies, they have for decades been extracted using the detergent sarkosyl. We asked if PD and MSA patient-derived αSyn filament strains display different stability to sarkosyl extraction as this may confound our interpretation of the landscape of structural strains present in patients' tissue. We compared the stability of cerebrospinal fluid-derived strains from four PD and four MSA patients using sedimentation and immunoassays and tested the seeding competence and strain-specific characteristics of the sarkosyl-soluble fractions using a seed amplification assay (SAA) and Thioflavin T (ThT) fluorescence. We demonstrate that filaments from PD are less resistant to sarkosyl than from MSA after they have been subjected to freezing and sonication. An enhanced release of monomers from PD filaments was the major difference between PD and MSA, but the sarkosyl-soluble fraction released from both PD and MSA filaments contained aggregates that displayed aggregate-specific epitopes and seeding activity with preserved disease-specific strain characteristics. Our results demonstrate that sarkosyl differentially destabilizes patient derived αSyn filament strains, which may compromise our ability to fully appreciate the landscape of αSyn filament currently being uncovered by high resolution cryoEM analyses. This should motivate an effort to develop more gentle extraction protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hjalte Gram
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience—DANDRITE, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Vasileios Theologidis
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience—DANDRITE, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Thomas Boesen
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience—DANDRITE, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Poul Henning Jensen
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience—DANDRITE, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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Graves NJ, Gambin Y, Sierecki E. α-Synuclein Strains and Their Relevance to Parkinson's Disease, Multiple System Atrophy, and Dementia with Lewy Bodies. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12134. [PMID: 37569510 PMCID: PMC10418915 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512134] [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: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Like many neurodegenerative diseases, Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by the formation of proteinaceous aggregates in brain cells. In PD, those proteinaceous aggregates are formed by the α-synuclein (αSyn) and are considered the trademark of this neurodegenerative disease. In addition to PD, αSyn pathological aggregation is also detected in atypical Parkinsonism, including Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB), Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), as well as neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation, some cases of traumatic brain injuries, and variants of Alzheimer's disease. Collectively, these (and other) disorders are referred to as synucleinopathies, highlighting the relation between disease type and protein misfolding/aggregation. Despite these pathological relationships, however, synucleinopathies cover a wide range of pathologies, present with a multiplicity of symptoms, and arise from dysfunctions in different neuroanatomical regions and cell populations. Strikingly, αSyn deposition occurs in different types of cells, with oligodendrocytes being mainly affected in MSA, while aggregates are found in neurons in PD. If multiple factors contribute to the development of a pathology, especially in the cases of slow-developing neurodegenerative disorders, the common presence of αSyn aggregation, as both a marker and potential driver of disease, is puzzling. In this review, we will focus on comparing PD, DLB, and MSA, from symptomatology to molecular description, highlighting the role and contribution of αSyn aggregates in each disorder. We will particularly present recent evidence for the involvement of conformational strains of αSyn aggregates and discuss the reciprocal relationship between αSyn strains and the cellular milieu. Moreover, we will highlight the need for effective methodologies for the strainotyping of aggregates to ameliorate diagnosing capabilities and therapeutic treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Emma Sierecki
- EMBL Australia Node for Single Molecule Sciences and School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; (N.J.G.)
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40
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Wang L, Zhou C, Zhang W, Zhang M, Cheng W, Feng J. Association of Cortical and Subcortical Microstructure With Clinical Progression and Fluid Biomarkers in Patients With Parkinson Disease. Neurology 2023; 101:e300-e310. [PMID: 37202161 PMCID: PMC10382272 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000207408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Mean diffusivity (MD) of diffusion MRI (dMRI) has been used to measure cortical and subcortical microstructural properties. This study investigated relationships of cortical and subcortical MD, clinical progression, and fluid biomarkers in Parkinson disease (PD). METHODS This longitudinal study using data from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative was collected from April 2011 to July 2022. Clinical symptoms were assessed with Movement Disorder Society-sponsored revision of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores. Clinical assessments were followed up to 5 years. Linear mixed-effects (LME) models were performed to examine associations of MD and the annual rate of changes in clinical scores. Partial correlation analysis was conducted to examine the associations of MD and fluid biomarker levels. RESULTS A total of 174 patients with PD (age 61.9 ± 9.7 years, 63% male) with baseline dMRI and at least 2 years of clinical follow-up were included. Results of LME models revealed a significant association between MD values, predominantly in subcortical regions, temporal lobe, occipital lobe, and frontal lobe, and annual rate of changes in clinical scores (UPDRS-Part-I, standardized β > 2.35; UPDRS-Part-II, standardized β > 2.34; postural instability and gait disorder score, standardized β > 2.47; MoCA, standardized β < -2.42; all p < 0.05, false discovery rate [FDR] corrected). In addition, MD was associated with the levels of neurofilament light chain in serum (r > 0.22) and α-synuclein (right putamen r = 0.31), β-amyloid 1-42 (left hippocampus r = -0.30), phosphorylated tau at 181 threonine position (r > 0.26), and total tau (r > 0.23) in CSF at baseline (all p < 0.05, FDR corrected). Furthermore, the β coefficients derived from MD and annual rate of changes in the clinical score recapitulated the spatial distribution of dopamine (DAT, D1, and D2), glutamate (mGluR5 and NMDA), serotonin (5-HT1a and 5-HT2a), cannabinoid (CB1), and γ-amino butyric acid A receptor neurotransmitter receptors/transporters (p < 0.05, FDR corrected) derived from PET scans in the brain of healthy volunteers. DISCUSSION In this cohort study, cortical and subcortical MD values at baseline were associated with clinical progression and baseline fluid biomarkers, suggesting that microstructural properties could be useful for stratification of patients with fast clinical progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linbo Wang
- From the Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence (L.W., W.Z., W.C., J.F.), Fudan University; Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University) (L.W., W.Z., W.C., J.F.), Ministry of Education; MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science (L.W., W.Z., W.C., J.F.), Fudan University; Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center (L.W., W.Z., W.C., J.F.), Shanghai; Department of Radiology (C.Z., M.Z.), The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou; Fudan ISTBI-ZJNU Algorithm Centre for Brain-inspired Intelligence (W.C.), Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China; and Department of Computer Science (J.F.), University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Cheng Zhou
- From the Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence (L.W., W.Z., W.C., J.F.), Fudan University; Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University) (L.W., W.Z., W.C., J.F.), Ministry of Education; MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science (L.W., W.Z., W.C., J.F.), Fudan University; Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center (L.W., W.Z., W.C., J.F.), Shanghai; Department of Radiology (C.Z., M.Z.), The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou; Fudan ISTBI-ZJNU Algorithm Centre for Brain-inspired Intelligence (W.C.), Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China; and Department of Computer Science (J.F.), University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Wei Zhang
- From the Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence (L.W., W.Z., W.C., J.F.), Fudan University; Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University) (L.W., W.Z., W.C., J.F.), Ministry of Education; MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science (L.W., W.Z., W.C., J.F.), Fudan University; Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center (L.W., W.Z., W.C., J.F.), Shanghai; Department of Radiology (C.Z., M.Z.), The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou; Fudan ISTBI-ZJNU Algorithm Centre for Brain-inspired Intelligence (W.C.), Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China; and Department of Computer Science (J.F.), University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Minming Zhang
- From the Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence (L.W., W.Z., W.C., J.F.), Fudan University; Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University) (L.W., W.Z., W.C., J.F.), Ministry of Education; MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science (L.W., W.Z., W.C., J.F.), Fudan University; Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center (L.W., W.Z., W.C., J.F.), Shanghai; Department of Radiology (C.Z., M.Z.), The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou; Fudan ISTBI-ZJNU Algorithm Centre for Brain-inspired Intelligence (W.C.), Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China; and Department of Computer Science (J.F.), University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Wei Cheng
- From the Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence (L.W., W.Z., W.C., J.F.), Fudan University; Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University) (L.W., W.Z., W.C., J.F.), Ministry of Education; MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science (L.W., W.Z., W.C., J.F.), Fudan University; Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center (L.W., W.Z., W.C., J.F.), Shanghai; Department of Radiology (C.Z., M.Z.), The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou; Fudan ISTBI-ZJNU Algorithm Centre for Brain-inspired Intelligence (W.C.), Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China; and Department of Computer Science (J.F.), University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Jianfeng Feng
- From the Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence (L.W., W.Z., W.C., J.F.), Fudan University; Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University) (L.W., W.Z., W.C., J.F.), Ministry of Education; MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science (L.W., W.Z., W.C., J.F.), Fudan University; Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center (L.W., W.Z., W.C., J.F.), Shanghai; Department of Radiology (C.Z., M.Z.), The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou; Fudan ISTBI-ZJNU Algorithm Centre for Brain-inspired Intelligence (W.C.), Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China; and Department of Computer Science (J.F.), University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom.
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Han JY, Park KJ, Park HC, Lee YR, Moore RA, Sohn HJ, Choi YP. Autoclave treatment fails to completely inactivate DLB alpha-synuclein seeding activity. Biochem Biophys Rep 2023; 34:101446. [PMID: 36923008 PMCID: PMC10009011 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2023.101446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Synucleinopathies are characterized by the deposition of alpha-synuclein (α-syn) aggregates in brain tissue. Pathological α-syn aggregates propagate in a prion-like manner and display prion-like biochemical properties. Using RT-QuIC, we measured α-syn seeding activity from brains of Dementia with Lewy body (DLB) patients post autoclave. Here, we show that autoclaving at 121 °C removes one to two log10 of α-syn seeding activity but the remaining 50% seeding dose (SD50) is more than 107/mg tissue. DLB brain samples autoclaved at 132 °C still revealed an SD50 of approximately 106/mg tissue. Our data suggest that DLB α-syn seeds are incompletely inactivated by standard autoclave, thus highlighting the need for evaluating laboratory procedures that fully inactivate them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung-Youn Han
- Laboratory Animal Center, Division of Research Strategy, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung-Je Park
- Reference Laboratory for CWD, Foreign Animal Disease Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Hoo-Chang Park
- Reference Laboratory for CWD, Foreign Animal Disease Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Yu-Ran Lee
- Reference Laboratory for CWD, Foreign Animal Disease Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Hyun-Joo Sohn
- Reference Laboratory for CWD, Foreign Animal Disease Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Pyo Choi
- Laboratory Animal Center, Division of Research Strategy, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, Republic of Korea
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42
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Quintin S, Lloyd GM, Paterno G, Xia Y, Sorrentino Z, Bell BM, Gorion KM, Lee EB, Prokop S, Giasson BI. Cellular processing of α-synuclein fibrils results in distinct physiological C-terminal truncations with a major cleavage site at residue Glu 114. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:104912. [PMID: 37307916 PMCID: PMC10404685 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.104912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023] Open
Abstract
α-synuclein (αS) is an abundant, neuronal protein that assembles into fibrillar pathological inclusions in a spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases that include Lewy body diseases (LBD) and Multiple System Atrophy (MSA). The cellular and regional distributions of pathological inclusions vary widely between different synucleinopathies contributing to the spectrum of clinical presentations. Extensive cleavage within the carboxy (C)-terminal region of αS is associated with inclusion formation, although the events leading to these modifications and the implications for pathobiology are of ongoing study. αS preformed fibrils can induce prion-like spread of αS pathology in both in vitro and animal models of disease. Using C truncation-specific antibodies, we demonstrated here that prion-like cellular uptake and processing of αS preformed fibrils resulted in two major cleavages at residues 103 and 114. A third cleavage product (122 αS) accumulated upon application of lysosomal protease inhibitors. In vitro, both 1-103 and 1-114 αS polymerized rapidly and extensively in isolation and in the presence of full-length αS. 1-103 αS also demonstrated more extensive aggregation when expressed in cultured cells. Furthermore, we used novel antibodies to αS cleaved at residue Glu114, to assess x-114 αS pathology in postmortem brain tissue from patients with LBD and MSA, as well as three different transgenic αS mouse models of prion-like induction. The distribution of x-114 αS pathology was distinct from that of overall αS pathology. These studies reveal the cellular formation and behavior of αS C-truncated at residues 114 and 103 as well as the disease dependent distribution of x-114 αS pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Quintin
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA; Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Grace M Lloyd
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA; Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Giavanna Paterno
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA; Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Yuxing Xia
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA; Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Zachary Sorrentino
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA; Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Brach M Bell
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA; Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Kimberly-Marie Gorion
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA; Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Edward B Lee
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania (PENN) School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Stefan Prokop
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA; Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Benoit I Giasson
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA; Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA; McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
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43
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Avni A, Joshi A, Mukhopadhyay S. Hydrogen-Deuterium Exchange Vibrational Raman Spectroscopy Distinguishes Distinct Amyloid Polymorphs Comprising Altered Core Architecture. J Phys Chem Lett 2023:5592-5601. [PMID: 37307286 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c01086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Amyloid fibrils are ordered protein aggregates comprising a hydrogen-bonded central cross-β core displaying a structural diversity in their supramolecular packing arrangements within the core. Such an altered packing results in amyloid polymorphism that gives rise to morphological and biological strain diversities. Here, we show that vibrational Raman spectroscopy coupled with hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) exchange discerns the key structural features that are responsible for yielding diverse amyloid polymorphs. Such a noninvasive and label-free methodology allows us to structurally distinguish distinct amyloid polymorphs displaying altered hydrogen bonding and supramolecular packing within the cross-β structural motif. By using quantitative molecular fingerprinting and multivariate statistical analysis, we analyze key Raman bands for the protein backbone and side chains that allow us to capture the conformational heterogeneity and structural distributions within distinct amyloid polymorphs. Our results delineate the key molecular factors governing the structural diversity in amyloid polymorphs and can potentially simplify studying amyloid remodeling by small molecules.
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Kim A, Martinez-Valbuena I, Li J, Lang AE, Kovacs GG. Disease-Specific α-Synuclein Seeding in Lewy Body Disease and Multiple System Atrophy Are Preserved in Formaldehyde-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Human Brain. Biomolecules 2023; 13:936. [PMID: 37371515 DOI: 10.3390/biom13060936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have been able to detect α-synuclein (αSyn) seeding in formaldehyde-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues from patients with synucleinopathies using seed amplification assays (SAAs), but with relatively low sensitivity due to limited protein extraction efficiency. With the aim of introducing an alternative option to frozen tissues, we developed a streamlined protein extraction protocol for evaluating disease-specific seeding in FFPE human brain. We evaluated the protein extraction efficiency of different tissue preparations, deparaffinizations, and protein extraction buffers using formaldehyde-fixed and FFPE tissue of a single Lewy body disease (LBD) subject. Alternatively, we incorporated heat-induced antigen retrieval and dissociation using a commercially available kit. Our novel protein extraction protocol has been optimized to work with 10 sections of 4.5-µm-thickness or 2-mm-diameter micro-punch of FFPE tissue that can be used to seed SAAs. We demonstrated that extracted proteins from FFPE still preserve seeding potential and further show disease-specific seeding in LBD and multiple system atrophy. To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first to recapitulate disease-specific αSyn seeding behaviour in FFPE human brain. Our findings open new perspectives in re-evaluating archived human brain tissue, extending the disease-specific seeding assays to larger cohorts to facilitate molecular subtyping of synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ain Kim
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Ivan Martinez-Valbuena
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada
- Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Jun Li
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Anthony E Lang
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada
- Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada
- Edmond J. Safra Program in Parkinson's Disease and the Morton and Gloria Shulman Movement Disorders Clinic, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, ON M5T 2S6, Canada
| | - Gabor G Kovacs
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada
- Edmond J. Safra Program in Parkinson's Disease and the Morton and Gloria Shulman Movement Disorders Clinic, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, ON M5T 2S6, Canada
- Laboratory Medicine Program, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 2C4, Canada
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Lau HHC, Martinez-Valbuena I, So RWL, Mehra S, Silver NRG, Mao A, Stuart E, Schmitt-Ulms C, Hyman BT, Ingelsson M, Kovacs GG, Watts JC. The G51D SNCA mutation generates a slowly progressive α-synuclein strain in early-onset Parkinson's disease. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2023; 11:72. [PMID: 37138318 PMCID: PMC10155462 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01570-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Unique strains of α-synuclein aggregates have been postulated to underlie the spectrum of clinical and pathological presentations seen across the synucleinopathies. Whereas multiple system atrophy (MSA) is associated with a predominance of oligodendroglial α-synuclein inclusions, α-synuclein aggregates in Parkinson's disease (PD) preferentially accumulate in neurons. The G51D mutation in the SNCA gene encoding α-synuclein causes an aggressive, early-onset form of PD that exhibits clinical and neuropathological traits reminiscent of both PD and MSA. To assess the strain characteristics of G51D PD α-synuclein aggregates, we performed propagation studies in M83 transgenic mice by intracerebrally inoculating patient brain extracts. The properties of the induced α-synuclein aggregates in the brains of injected mice were examined using immunohistochemistry, a conformational stability assay, and by performing α-synuclein seed amplification assays. Unlike MSA-injected mice, which developed a progressive motor phenotype, G51D PD-inoculated animals remained free of overt neurological illness for up to 18 months post-inoculation. However, a subclinical synucleinopathy was present in G51D PD-inoculated mice, characterized by the accumulation of α-synuclein aggregates in restricted regions of the brain. The induced α-synuclein aggregates in G51D PD-injected mice exhibited distinct properties in a seed amplification assay and were much more stable than those present in mice injected with MSA extract, which mirrored the differences observed between human MSA and G51D PD brain samples. These results suggest that the G51D SNCA mutation specifies the formation of a slowly propagating α-synuclein strain that more closely resembles α-synuclein aggregates associated with PD than MSA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather H C Lau
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Tower, Rm. 4KD481, 60 Leonard Ave., Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ivan Martinez-Valbuena
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Tower, Rm. 4KD481, 60 Leonard Ave., Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Raphaella W L So
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Tower, Rm. 4KD481, 60 Leonard Ave., Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Surabhi Mehra
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Tower, Rm. 4KD481, 60 Leonard Ave., Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Nicholas R G Silver
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Tower, Rm. 4KD481, 60 Leonard Ave., Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Alison Mao
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Tower, Rm. 4KD481, 60 Leonard Ave., Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Erica Stuart
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Tower, Rm. 4KD481, 60 Leonard Ave., Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Cian Schmitt-Ulms
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Tower, Rm. 4KD481, 60 Leonard Ave., Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Bradley T Hyman
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Martin Ingelsson
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Tower, Rm. 4KD481, 60 Leonard Ave., Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences/Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Gabor G Kovacs
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Tower, Rm. 4KD481, 60 Leonard Ave., Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada
- Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Joel C Watts
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Tower, Rm. 4KD481, 60 Leonard Ave., Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada.
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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Block AJ, Bartz JC. Prion strains: shining new light on old concepts. Cell Tissue Res 2023; 392:113-133. [PMID: 35796874 PMCID: PMC11318079 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-022-03665-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Prion diseases are a group of inevitably fatal neurodegenerative disorders affecting numerous mammalian species, including humans. The existence of heritable phenotypes of disease in the natural host suggested that prions exist as distinct strains. Transmission of sheep scrapie to rodent models accelerated prion research, resulting in the isolation and characterization of numerous strains with distinct characteristics. These strains are grouped into categories based on the incubation period of disease in different strains of mice and also by how stable the strain properties were upon serial passage. These classical studies defined the host and agent parameters that affected strain properties, and, prior to the advent of the prion hypothesis, strain properties were hypothesized to be the result of mutations in a nucleic acid genome of a conventional pathogen. The development of the prion hypothesis challenged the paradigm of infectious agents, and, initially, the existence of strains was difficult to reconcile with a protein-only agent. In the decades since, much evidence has revealed how a protein-only infectious agent can perform complex biological functions. The prevailing hypothesis is that strain-specific conformations of PrPSc encode prion strain diversity. This hypothesis can provide a mechanism to explain the observed strain-specific differences in incubation period of disease, biochemical properties of PrPSc, tissue tropism, and subcellular patterns of pathology. This hypothesis also explains how prion strains mutate, evolve, and adapt to new species. These concepts are applicable to prion-like diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, where evidence of strain diversity is beginning to emerge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa J Block
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE, 68178, USA
| | - Jason C Bartz
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE, 68178, USA.
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Ferrari E, Salvadè M, Zianni E, Brumana M, DiLuca M, Gardoni F. Detrimental effects of soluble α-synuclein oligomers at excitatory glutamatergic synapses. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1152065. [PMID: 37009450 PMCID: PMC10060538 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1152065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
IntroductionOligomeric and fibrillar species of the synaptic protein α-synuclein are established key players in the pathophysiology of Parkinson’s disease and other synucleinopathies. Increasing evidence in the literature points to prefibrillar oligomers as the main cytotoxic species driving dysfunction in diverse neurotransmitter systems even at early disease stages. Of note, soluble oligomers have recently been shown to alter synaptic plasticity mechanisms at the glutamatergic cortico-striatal synapse. However, the molecular and morphological detrimental events triggered by soluble α-synuclein aggregates that ultimately lead to excitatory synaptic failure remain mostly elusive.MethodsIn the present study, we aimed to clarify the effects of soluble α-synuclein oligomers (sOligo) in the pathophysiology of synucleinopathies at cortico-striatal and hippocampal excitatory synapses. To investigate early defects of the striatal synapse in vivo, sOligo were inoculated in the dorsolateral striatum of 2-month-old wild-type C57BL/6J mice, and molecular and morphological analyses were conducted 42 and 84 days post-injection. In parallel, primary cultures of rat hippocampal neurons were exposed to sOligo, and molecular and morphological analyses were performed after 7 days of treatment.ResultsIn vivo sOligo injection impaired the post-synaptic retention of striatal ionotropic glutamate receptors and decreased the levels of phosphorylated ERK at 84 days post-injection. These events were not correlated with morphological alterations at dendritic spines. Conversely, chronic in vitro administration of sOligo caused a significant decrease in ERK phosphorylation but did not significantly alter post-synaptic levels of ionotropic glutamate receptors or spine density in primary hippocampal neurons.ConclusionOverall, our data indicate that sOligo are involved in pathogenic molecular changes at the striatal glutamatergic synapse, confirming the detrimental effect of these species in an in vivo synucleinopathy model. Moreover, sOligo affects the ERK signaling pathway similarly in hippocampal and striatal neurons, possibly representing an early mechanism that anticipates synaptic loss.
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Schmitz M, Candelise N, Canaslan S, Altmeppen HC, Matschke J, Glatzel M, Younas N, Zafar S, Hermann P, Zerr I. α-Synuclein conformers reveal link to clinical heterogeneity of α-synucleinopathies. Transl Neurodegener 2023; 12:12. [PMID: 36915212 PMCID: PMC10012698 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-023-00342-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/15/2023] Open
Abstract
α-Synucleinopathies, such as Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and multiple system atrophy, are a class of neurodegenerative diseases exhibiting intracellular inclusions of misfolded α-synuclein (αSyn), referred to as Lewy bodies or oligodendroglial cytoplasmic inclusions (Papp-Lantos bodies). Even though the specific cellular distribution of aggregated αSyn differs in PD and DLB patients, both groups show a significant pathological overlap, raising the discussion of whether PD and DLB are the same or different diseases. Besides clinical investigation, we will focus in addition on methodologies, such as protein seeding assays (real-time quaking-induced conversion), to discriminate between different types of α-synucleinopathies. This approach relies on the seeding conversion properties of misfolded αSyn, supporting the hypothesis that different conformers of misfolded αSyn may occur in different types of α-synucleinopathies. Understanding the pathological processes influencing the disease progression and phenotype, provoked by different αSyn conformers, will be important for a personalized medical treatment in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Schmitz
- Department of Neurology, National Reference Center for TSE, The German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Georg-August-University, University Medicine Gottingen, Goettingen, Germany.
| | - Niccolò Candelise
- National Center for Drug Research and Evaluation, Institute Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Sezgi Canaslan
- Department of Neurology, National Reference Center for TSE, The German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Georg-August-University, University Medicine Gottingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Hermann C Altmeppen
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jakob Matschke
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Markus Glatzel
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Neelam Younas
- Department of Neurology, National Reference Center for TSE, The German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Georg-August-University, University Medicine Gottingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Saima Zafar
- Department of Neurology, National Reference Center for TSE, The German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Georg-August-University, University Medicine Gottingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Peter Hermann
- Department of Neurology, National Reference Center for TSE, The German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Georg-August-University, University Medicine Gottingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Inga Zerr
- Department of Neurology, National Reference Center for TSE, The German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Georg-August-University, University Medicine Gottingen, Goettingen, Germany
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Development of Small Molecules Targeting α-Synuclein Aggregation: A Promising Strategy to Treat Parkinson’s Disease. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15030839. [PMID: 36986700 PMCID: PMC10059018 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15030839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Parkinson’s disease, the second most common neurodegenerative disorder worldwide, is characterized by the accumulation of protein deposits in the dopaminergic neurons. These deposits are primarily composed of aggregated forms of α-Synuclein (α-Syn). Despite the extensive research on this disease, only symptomatic treatments are currently available. However, in recent years, several compounds, mainly of an aromatic character, targeting α-Syn self-assembly and amyloid formation have been identified. These compounds, discovered by different approaches, are chemically diverse and exhibit a plethora of mechanisms of action. This work aims to provide a historical overview of the physiopathology and molecular aspects associated with Parkinson’s disease and the current trends in small compound development to target α-Syn aggregation. Although these molecules are still under development, they constitute an important step toward discovering effective anti-aggregational therapies for Parkinson’s disease.
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Olszewska DA, Lang AE. The definition of precision medicine in neurodegenerative disorders and the one disease-many diseases tension. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2023; 192:3-20. [PMID: 36796946 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-85538-9.00005-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
Precision medicine is a patient-centered approach that aims to translate new knowledge to optimize the type and timing of interventions for the greatest benefit to individual patients. There is considerable interest in applying this approach to treatments designed to slow or halt the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Indeed, effective disease-modifying treatment (DMT) remains the greatest unmet therapeutic need in this field. In contrast to the enormous progress in oncology, precision medicine in the field of neurodegeneration faces multiple challenges. These are related to major limitations in our understanding of many aspects of the diseases. A critical barrier to advances in this field is the question of whether the common sporadic neurodegenerative diseases (of the elderly) are single uniform disorders (particularly related to their pathogenesis) or whether they represent a collection of related but still very distinct disease states. In this chapter, we briefly touch on lessons from other fields of medicine that might be applied to the development of precision medicine for DMT in neurodegenerative diseases. We discuss why DMT trials may have failed to date, and particularly the importance of appreciating the multifaceted nature of disease heterogeneity and how this has and will impact on these efforts. We conclude with comments on how we can move from this complex disease heterogeneity to the successful application of precision medicine principles in DMT for neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana A Olszewska
- Department of Neurology, Division of Movement Disorders, Edmond J. Safra Program in Parkinson's Disease and the Morton and Gloria Shulman Movement Disorders Clinic, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Anthony E Lang
- Department of Neurology, Division of Movement Disorders, Edmond J. Safra Program in Parkinson's Disease and the Morton and Gloria Shulman Movement Disorders Clinic, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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