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Lenzi P, Lazzeri G, Ferrucci M, Scotto M, Frati A, Puglisi-Allegra S, Busceti CL, Fornai F. Is There a Place for Lewy Bodies before and beyond Alpha-Synuclein Accumulation? Provocative Issues in Need of Solid Explanations. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3929. [PMID: 38612739 PMCID: PMC11011529 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073929] [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: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
In the last two decades, alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn) assumed a prominent role as a major component and seeding structure of Lewy bodies (LBs). This concept is driving ongoing research on the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease (PD). In line with this, alpha-syn is considered to be the guilty protein in the disease process, and it may be targeted through precision medicine to modify disease progression. Therefore, designing specific tools to block the aggregation and spreading of alpha-syn represents a major effort in the development of disease-modifying therapies in PD. The present article analyzes concrete evidence about the significance of alpha-syn within LBs. In this effort, some dogmas are challenged. This concerns the question of whether alpha-syn is more abundant compared with other proteins within LBs. Again, the occurrence of alpha-syn compared with non-protein constituents is scrutinized. Finally, the prominent role of alpha-syn in seeding LBs as the guilty structure causing PD is questioned. These revisited concepts may be helpful in the process of validating which proteins, organelles, and pathways are likely to be involved in the damage to meso-striatal dopamine neurons and other brain regions involved in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Lenzi
- Human Anatomy, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (P.L.); (G.L.); (M.F.); (M.S.)
| | - Gloria Lazzeri
- Human Anatomy, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (P.L.); (G.L.); (M.F.); (M.S.)
| | - Michela Ferrucci
- Human Anatomy, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (P.L.); (G.L.); (M.F.); (M.S.)
| | - Marco Scotto
- Human Anatomy, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (P.L.); (G.L.); (M.F.); (M.S.)
| | - Alessandro Frati
- IRCCS—Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Neuromed, 86077 Pozzili, Italy or (A.F.); (S.P.-A.); (C.L.B.)
- Neurosurgery Division, Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University, 00135 Roma, Italy
| | - Stefano Puglisi-Allegra
- IRCCS—Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Neuromed, 86077 Pozzili, Italy or (A.F.); (S.P.-A.); (C.L.B.)
| | - Carla Letizia Busceti
- IRCCS—Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Neuromed, 86077 Pozzili, Italy or (A.F.); (S.P.-A.); (C.L.B.)
| | - Francesco Fornai
- Human Anatomy, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (P.L.); (G.L.); (M.F.); (M.S.)
- IRCCS—Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Neuromed, 86077 Pozzili, Italy or (A.F.); (S.P.-A.); (C.L.B.)
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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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Yamakado H, Takahashi R. Experimental Animal Models of Prodromal Parkinson's Disease. JOURNAL OF PARKINSON'S DISEASE 2024; 14:S369-S379. [PMID: 38427504 DOI: 10.3233/jpd-230393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
There is an estimated 35-45% loss of striatal dopamine at the time of diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD), and cases clinically diagnosed in the early stages may already be pathologically in advanced stages. Recent large-scale clinical trials of disease-modifying therapies (DMT) also suggest the necessity of targeting patients at earlier stages of the disease. From this perspective, the prodromal phase of PD is currently the focus of attention, emphasizing the need for a prodromal mouse model that accurately reflects the pathophysiology, along with early biomarkers. To establish prodromal animal model of PD with high face validity that reflects the disease state, the model must possess high construct validity that accurately incorporates clinical and pathological features in the prodromal phase. Furthermore, as a preclinical model of DMT, the model must possess high predictive validity to accurately evaluate the response to intervention. This review provides an overview of animal models which reflect the characteristics of prodromal PD, including alpha-synuclein (aS) accumulation and associated early non-motor symptoms, with a focus on the aS propagation model and genetic model. In addition, we discuss the challenges associated with these models. The genetic model often fails to induce motor symptoms, while aS propagation models skip the crucial step of initial aS aggregate formation, thereby not fully replicating the entire natural course of the disease. Identifying factors that induce the transition from prodromal to symptomatic phase is important as a preclinical model for DMT to prevent or delay the onset of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hodaka Yamakado
- Department of Therapeutics for Multiple System Atrophy, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Ryosuke Takahashi
- Department of Neurology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
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Mondal A, Dolui S, Dhabal S, Kundu S, Das L, Bhattacharjee A, Maiti NC. Structure specific neuro-toxicity of α-synuclein oligomer. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 253:126683. [PMID: 37666396 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.126683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is linked to α-synuclein (aS) aggregation and deposition of amyloid in the substantia nigra region of the brain tissues. In the current investigation we produced two distinct classes of aS oligomer of differed protein conformation, stability and compared their toxic nature to cultured neuronal cells. Lyophilized oligomer (LO) was produced in storage of aS at-20 °C for 7 days and it was enriched with loosely hold molten globule like structure with residues having preferences for α-helical conformational space. The size of the oligomer was 4-5.5 nm under AFM. This kind of oligomer exhibited potential toxicity towards neuronal cell lines and did not transform into compact β-sheet rich amyloid fiber even after incubation at 37 °C for several days. Formation of another type of oligomer was often observed in the lag phase of aS fibrillation that often occurred at an elevated temperature (37 °C). This kind of heat induced oligomer (IO) was more hydrophobic and relatively less toxic to neuronal cells compared to lyophilized oligomer (LO). Importantly, initiation of hydrophobic zipping of aS caused the transformation of IO into thermodynamically stable β-sheet rich amyloid fibril. On the other hand, the presence of molten globule like conformation in LO, rendered greater toxicity to cultured neuronal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Animesh Mondal
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, 4, Raja S.C. Mullick Road, Kolkata 700032, India; Department of Zoology, Government General Degree College-Mangalkote, Purba Bardhaman, West Bengal 713132, India.
| | - Sandip Dolui
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, 4, Raja S.C. Mullick Road, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Sukhamoy Dhabal
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology-Durgapur, Mahatma Gandhi Rd, A-Zone, Durgapur, West Bengal 713209, India
| | - Shubham Kundu
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, 4, Raja S.C. Mullick Road, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Lopamudra Das
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, 4, Raja S.C. Mullick Road, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Ashish Bhattacharjee
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology-Durgapur, Mahatma Gandhi Rd, A-Zone, Durgapur, West Bengal 713209, India
| | - Nakul C Maiti
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, 4, Raja S.C. Mullick Road, Kolkata 700032, India.
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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: 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: 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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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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Yang Y, Garringer HJ, Shi Y, Lövestam S, Peak-Chew S, Zhang X, Kotecha A, Bacioglu M, Koto A, Takao M, Spillantini MG, Ghetti B, Vidal R, Murzin AG, Scheres SHW, Goedert M. New SNCA mutation and structures of α-synuclein filaments from juvenile-onset synucleinopathy. Acta Neuropathol 2023; 145:561-572. [PMID: 36847833 PMCID: PMC10119069 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-023-02550-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
A 21-nucleotide duplication in one allele of SNCA was identified in a previously described disease with abundant α-synuclein inclusions that we now call juvenile-onset synucleinopathy (JOS). This mutation translates into the insertion of MAAAEKT after residue 22 of α-synuclein, resulting in a protein of 147 amino acids. Both wild-type and mutant proteins were present in sarkosyl-insoluble material that was extracted from frontal cortex of the individual with JOS and examined by electron cryo-microscopy. The structures of JOS filaments, comprising either a single protofilament, or a pair of protofilaments, revealed a new α-synuclein fold that differs from the folds of Lewy body diseases and multiple system atrophy (MSA). The JOS fold consists of a compact core, the sequence of which (residues 36-100 of wild-type α-synuclein) is unaffected by the mutation, and two disconnected density islands (A and B) of mixed sequences. There is a non-proteinaceous cofactor bound between the core and island A. The JOS fold resembles the common substructure of MSA Type I and Type II dimeric filaments, with its core segment approximating the C-terminal body of MSA protofilaments B and its islands mimicking the N-terminal arm of MSA protofilaments A. The partial similarity of JOS and MSA folds extends to the locations of their cofactor-binding sites. In vitro assembly of recombinant wild-type α-synuclein, its insertion mutant and their mixture yielded structures that were distinct from those of JOS filaments. Our findings provide insight into a possible mechanism of JOS fibrillation in which mutant α-synuclein of 147 amino acids forms a nucleus with the JOS fold, around which wild-type and mutant proteins assemble during elongation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yang
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Holly J Garringer
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Yang Shi
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
- MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Sofia Lövestam
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Sew Peak-Chew
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Xianjun Zhang
- Thermo Fisher Scientific, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Abhay Kotecha
- Thermo Fisher Scientific, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Mehtap Bacioglu
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Atsuo Koto
- Yomiuri-Land Keiyu Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masaki Takao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory and Internal Medicine, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Neurology and Brain Bank, Mihara Memorial Hospital, Isesaki, Japan
| | | | - Bernardino Ghetti
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Ruben Vidal
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Alexey G Murzin
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Sjors H W Scheres
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Michel Goedert
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
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So RWL, Watts JC. α-Synuclein Conformational Strains as Drivers of Phenotypic Heterogeneity in Neurodegenerative Diseases. J Mol Biol 2023:168011. [PMID: 36792008 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
The synucleinopathies, which include Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy, are a class of human neurodegenerative disorders unified by the presence of α-synuclein aggregates in the brain. Considerable clinical and pathological heterogeneity exists within and among the individual synucleinopathies. A potential explanation for this variability is the existence of distinct conformational strains of α-synuclein aggregates that cause different disease manifestations. Like prion strains, α-synuclein strains can be delineated based on their structural architecture, with structural differences among α-synuclein aggregates leading to unique biochemical attributes and neuropathological properties in humans and animal models. Bolstered by recent high-resolution structural data from patient brain-derived material, it has now been firmly established that there are conformational differences among α-synuclein aggregates from different human synucleinopathies. Moreover, recombinant α-synuclein can be polymerized into several structurally distinct aggregates that exhibit unique pathological properties. In this review, we outline the evidence supporting the existence of α-synuclein strains and highlight how they can act as drivers of phenotypic heterogeneity in the human synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphaella W L So
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. https://twitter.com/xsakuraphie
| | - Joel C Watts
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. https://twitter.com/JoelWattsLab
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Reddy K, Dieriks BV. Multiple system atrophy: α-Synuclein strains at the neuron-oligodendrocyte crossroad. Mol Neurodegener 2022; 17:77. [DOI: 10.1186/s13024-022-00579-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractThe aberrant accumulation of α-Synuclein within oligodendrocytes is an enigmatic, pathological feature specific to Multiple system atrophy (MSA). Since the characterization of the disease in 1969, decades of research have focused on unravelling the pathogenic processes that lead to the formation of oligodendroglial cytoplasmic inclusions. The discovery of aggregated α-Synuclein (α-Syn) being the primary constituent of glial cytoplasmic inclusions has spurred several lines of research investigating the relationship between the pathogenic accumulation of the protein and oligodendrocytes. Recent developments have identified the ability of α-Syn to form conformationally distinct “strains” with varying behavioral characteristics and toxicities. Such “strains” are potentially disease-specific, providing insight into the enigmatic nature of MSA. This review discusses the evidence for MSA-specific α-Syn strains, highlighting the current methods for detecting and characterizing MSA patient-derived α-Syn. Given the differing behaviors of α-Syn strains, we explore the seeding and spreading capabilities of MSA-specific strains, postulating their influence on the aggressive nature of the disease. These ideas culminate into one key question: What causes MSA–specific strain formation? To answer this, we discuss the interplay between oligodendrocytes, neurons and α-Syn, exploring the ability of each cell type to contribute to the aggregate formation while postulating the effect of additional variables such as protein interactions, host characteristics and environmental factors. Thus, we propose the idea that MSA strain formation results from the intricate interrelation between neurons and oligodendrocytes, with deficits in each cell type required to initiate α-Syn aggregation and MSA pathogenesis.
Graphical Abstract
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Raval NR, Madsen CA, Shalgunov V, Nasser A, Battisti UM, Beaman EE, Juhl M, Jørgensen LM, Herth MM, Hansen HD, Plavén-Sigray P, Knudsen GM. Evaluation of the α-synuclein PET radiotracer (d 3)-[ 11C]MODAG-001 in pigs. Nucl Med Biol 2022; 114-115:42-48. [PMID: 36095921 DOI: 10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2022.08.001] [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: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracer to neuroimage α-synuclein aggregates would be a crucial addition for early diagnosis and treatment development in disorders such as Parkinson's disease, where elevated aggregate levels are a histopathological hallmark. The radiotracer (d3)-[11C]MODAG-001 has recently shown promise for visualization of α-synuclein pre-formed fibrils (α-PFF) in rodents. We here test the radiotracer in a pig model where proteins are intracerebrally injected immediately before scanning. Four pigs were injected in one hemisphere with 150 μg α-PFF, and in the other hemisphere, either 75 μg α-PFF or human brain homogenate from either dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) or Alzheimer's disease (AD) was injected. All pigs underwent one or two (d3)-[11C]MODAG-001 PET scans, quantified with the non-invasive Logan graphical analysis using the occipital cortex as a reference region. RESULTS The α-PFF and AD homogenate injected brain regions had high uptake of (d3)-[11C]MODAG-001 compared to the occipital cortex or cerebellum. BPND values in 150 μg α-PFF injected regions was 0.78, and in the AD homogenate injected regions was 0.73. By contrast, the DLB homogenate injected region did not differ in uptake and clearance compared to the reference regions. The time-activity curves and BPND values in the 150 μg and 75 μg injected regions of α-PFFs show a dose-dependent effect, and the PET signal could be blocked by pretreatment with unlabeled MODAG-001. CONCLUSION We find that both α-PFF and AD brain homogenates give rise to increased binding of (d3)-[11C]MODAG-001 when injected into the pig brain. Despite its limited specificity for cerebral α-synuclein pathology, (d3)-[11C]MODAG-001 shows promise as a lead tracer for future radiotracer development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nakul Ravi Raval
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Clara Aabye Madsen
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Vladimir Shalgunov
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine & PET, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Arafat Nasser
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Umberto Maria Battisti
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Emily Eufaula Beaman
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Morten Juhl
- Cardiology Stem Cell Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Louise Møller Jørgensen
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Copenhagen Spine Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Matthias Manfred Herth
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine & PET, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Hanne Demant Hansen
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Pontus Plavén-Sigray
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Gitte Moos Knudsen
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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11
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Quantum-dot-labeled synuclein seed assay identifies drugs modulating the experimental prion-like transmission. Commun Biol 2022; 5:636. [PMID: 35768587 PMCID: PMC9243017 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03590-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Synucleinopathies are neurodegenerative disorders including Parkinson disease (PD), dementia with Lewy body (DLB), and multiple system atrophy (MSA) that involve deposits of the protein alpha-synuclein (α-syn) in the brain. The inoculation of α-syn aggregates derived from synucleinopathy or preformed fibrils (PFF) formed in vitro induces misfolding and deposition of endogenous α-syn. This is referred to as prion-like transmission, and the mechanism is still unknown. In this study, we label α-syn PFF with quantum dots and visualize their movement directly in acute slices of brain tissue inoculated with α-syn PFF seeds. Using this system, we find that the trafficking of α-syn seeds is dependent on fast axonal transport and the seed spreading is dependent on endocytosis and neuronal activity. We also observe pharmacological effects on α-syn seed spreading; clinically available drugs including riluzole are effective in reducing the spread of α-syn seeds and this effect is also observed in vivo. Our quantum-dot-labeled α-syn seed assay system combined with in vivo transmission experiment reveals an early phase of transmission, in which uptake and spreading of seeds occur depending on neuronal activity, and a later phase, in which seeds induce the propagation of endogenous misfolded α-syn.
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12
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Just MK, Gram H, Theologidis V, Jensen PH, Nilsson KPR, Lindgren M, Knudsen K, Borghammer P, Van Den Berge N. Alpha-Synuclein Strain Variability in Body-First and Brain-First Synucleinopathies. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:907293. [PMID: 35693346 PMCID: PMC9178288 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.907293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic alpha-synuclein (asyn) aggregates are a defining feature of neurodegenerative synucleinopathies, which include Parkinson's disease, Lewy body dementia, pure autonomic failure and multiple system atrophy. Early accurate differentiation between these synucleinopathies is challenging due to the highly heterogeneous clinical profile at early prodromal disease stages. Therefore, diagnosis is often made in late disease stages when a patient presents with a broad range of motor and non-motor symptoms easing the differentiation. Increasing data suggest the clinical heterogeneity seen in patients is explained by the presence of distinct asyn strains, which exhibit variable morphologies and pathological functions. Recently, asyn seed amplification assays (PMCA and RT-QuIC) and conformation-specific ligand assays have made promising progress in differentiating between synucleinopathies in prodromal and advanced disease stages. Importantly, the cellular environment is known to impact strain morphology. And, asyn aggregate pathology can propagate trans-synaptically along the brain-body axis, affecting multiple organs and propagating through multiple cell types. Here, we present our hypothesis that the changing cellular environments, an asyn seed may encounter during its brain-to-body or body-to-brain propagation, may influence the structure and thereby the function of the aggregate strains developing within the different cells. Additionally, we aim to review strain characteristics of the different synucleinopathies in clinical and preclinical studies. Future preclinical animal models of synucleinopathies should investigate if asyn strain morphology is altered during brain-to-body and body-to-brain spreading using these seeding amplification and conformation-specific assays. Such findings would greatly deepen our understanding of synucleinopathies and the potential link between strain and phenotypic variability, which may enable specific diagnosis of different synucleinopathies in the prodromal phase, creating a large therapeutic window with potential future applications in clinical trials and personalized therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mie Kristine Just
- Institute for Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Nuclear Medicine and PET, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Hjalte Gram
- Department of Biomedicine, DANDRITE-Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Vasileios Theologidis
- Department of Biomedicine, DANDRITE-Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Poul Henning Jensen
- Department of Biomedicine, DANDRITE-Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - K. Peter R. Nilsson
- Division of Chemistry, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Mikael Lindgren
- Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Karoline Knudsen
- Institute for Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Nuclear Medicine and PET, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Per Borghammer
- Institute for Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Nuclear Medicine and PET, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Nathalie Van Den Berge
- Institute for Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Nuclear Medicine and PET, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
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13
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Pasha T, Zatorska A, Sharipov D, Rogelj B, Hortobágyi T, Hirth F. Karyopherin abnormalities in neurodegenerative proteinopathies. Brain 2021; 144:2915-2932. [PMID: 34019093 PMCID: PMC8194669 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative proteinopathies are characterized by progressive cell loss that is preceded by the mislocalization and aberrant accumulation of proteins prone to aggregation. Despite their different physiological functions, disease-related proteins like tau, α-synuclein, TAR DNA binding protein-43, fused in sarcoma and mutant huntingtin, all share low complexity regions that can mediate their liquid-liquid phase transitions. The proteins' phase transitions can range from native monomers to soluble oligomers, liquid droplets and further to irreversible, often-mislocalized aggregates that characterize the stages and severity of neurodegenerative diseases. Recent advances into the underlying pathogenic mechanisms have associated mislocalization and aberrant accumulation of disease-related proteins with defective nucleocytoplasmic transport and its mediators called karyopherins. These studies identify karyopherin abnormalities in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, frontotemporal dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and synucleinopathies including Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies, that range from altered expression levels to the subcellular mislocalization and aggregation of karyopherin α and β proteins. The reported findings reveal that in addition to their classical function in nuclear import and export, karyopherins can also act as chaperones by shielding aggregation-prone proteins against misfolding, accumulation and irreversible phase-transition into insoluble aggregates. Karyopherin abnormalities can, therefore, be both the cause and consequence of protein mislocalization and aggregate formation in degenerative proteinopathies. The resulting vicious feedback cycle of karyopherin pathology and proteinopathy identifies karyopherin abnormalities as a common denominator of onset and progression of neurodegenerative disease. Pharmacological targeting of karyopherins, already in clinical trials as therapeutic intervention targeting cancers such as glioblastoma and viral infections like COVID-19, may therefore represent a promising new avenue for disease-modifying treatments in neurodegenerative proteinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terouz Pasha
- King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London SE5 9RT, UK
| | - Anna Zatorska
- King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London SE5 9RT, UK
| | - Daulet Sharipov
- King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London SE5 9RT, UK
| | - Boris Rogelj
- Jozef Stefan Institute, Department of Biotechnology, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tibor Hortobágyi
- ELKH-DE Cerebrovascular and Neurodegenerative Research Group, Department of Neurology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
- King's College London, Department of Old Age Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Frank Hirth
- King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London SE5 9RT, UK
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14
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Macdonald JA, Chen JL, Masuda-Suzukake M, Schweighauser M, Jaunmuktane Z, Warner T, Holton JL, Grossman A, Berks R, Lavenir I, Goedert M. Assembly of α-synuclein and neurodegeneration in the central nervous system of heterozygous M83 mice following the peripheral administration of α-synuclein seeds. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:189. [PMID: 34819144 PMCID: PMC8611835 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01291-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Peripheral administration (oral, intranasal, intraperitoneal, intravenous) of assembled A53T α-synuclein induced synucleinopathy in heterozygous mice transgenic for human mutant A53T α-synuclein (line M83). The same was the case when cerebellar extracts from a case of multiple system atrophy with type II α-synuclein filaments were administered intraperitoneally, intravenously or intramuscularly. We observed abundant immunoreactivity for pS129 α-synuclein in nerve cells and severe motor impairment, resulting in hindlimb paralysis and shortened lifespan. Filaments immunoreactive for pS129 α-synuclein were in evidence. A 70% loss of motor neurons was present five months after an intraperitoneal injection of assembled A53T α-synuclein or cerebellar extract with type II α-synuclein filaments from an individual with a neuropathologically confirmed diagnosis of multiple system atrophy. Microglial cells changed from a predominantly ramified to a dystrophic appearance. Taken together, these findings establish a close relationship between the formation of α-synuclein inclusions in nerve cells and neurodegeneration, accompanied by a shift in microglial cell morphology. Propagation of α-synuclein inclusions depended on the characteristics of both seeds and transgenically expressed protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A Macdonald
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK
| | - John L Chen
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK
| | | | - Manuel Schweighauser
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Zane Jaunmuktane
- Queen Square Brain Bank for Neurological Disorders, UCL Institute of Neurology, 1 Wakefield Street, London, WC1N 1PJ, UK
| | - Thomas Warner
- Queen Square Brain Bank for Neurological Disorders, UCL Institute of Neurology, 1 Wakefield Street, London, WC1N 1PJ, UK
| | - Janice L Holton
- Queen Square Brain Bank for Neurological Disorders, UCL Institute of Neurology, 1 Wakefield Street, London, WC1N 1PJ, UK
| | | | - Richard Berks
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Isabelle Lavenir
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Michel Goedert
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK.
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15
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Klenerman D, Sanchez SE, Whiten DR, Meisl G, Ruggeri FS, Hidari E. Alpha synuclein only forms fibrils in vitro when larger than its critical size of 70 monomers. Chembiochem 2021; 22:2867-2871. [PMID: 34383993 PMCID: PMC8518629 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202100285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
The aggregation of α‐synuclein into small soluble aggregates and then fibrils is important in the development and spreading of aggregates through the brain in Parkinson's disease. Fibrillar aggregates can grow by monomer addition and then break into fragments that could spread into neighboring cells. The rate constants for fibril elongation and fragmentation have been measured but it is not known how large an aggregate needs to be before fibril formation is thermodynamically favorable. This critical size is an important parameter controlling at what stage in an aggregation reaction fibrils can form and replicate. We determined this value to be approximately 70 monomers using super‐resolution and atomic force microscopy imaging of individual α‐synuclein aggregates formed in solution over long time periods. This represents the minimum size for a stable α‐synuclein fibril and we hypothesis the formation of aggregates of this size in a cell represents a tipping point at which rapid replication occurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Klenerman
- University of Cambridge, Department of Chemistry, Lensfield Road, CB2 1EW, Cambridge, UNITED KINGDOM
| | | | - Daniel R Whiten
- Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Kolling Institute, AUSTRALIA
| | - Georg Meisl
- University of Cambridge, Chemistry, UNITED KINGDOM
| | - Francesco Simone Ruggeri
- Wageningen UR PRI: Wageningen University and Research Wageningen Plant Research, organic and physical chemistry Laboratories, NETHERLANDS
| | - Eric Hidari
- University of Cambridge, Chemistry, UNITED KINGDOM
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16
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Barth M, Bacioglu M, Schwarz N, Novotny R, Brandes J, Welzer M, Mazzitelli S, Häsler LM, Schweighauser M, Wuttke TV, Kronenberg-Versteeg D, Fog K, Ambjørn M, Alik A, Melki R, Kahle PJ, Shimshek DR, Koch H, Jucker M, Tanriöver G. Microglial inclusions and neurofilament light chain release follow neuronal α-synuclein lesions in long-term brain slice cultures. Mol Neurodegener 2021; 16:54. [PMID: 34380535 PMCID: PMC8356412 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-021-00471-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Proteopathic brain lesions are a hallmark of many age-related neurodegenerative diseases including synucleinopathies and develop at least a decade before the onset of clinical symptoms. Thus, understanding of the initiation and propagation of such lesions is key for developing therapeutics to delay or halt disease progression. METHODS Alpha-synuclein (αS) inclusions were induced in long-term murine and human slice cultures by seeded aggregation. An αS seed-recognizing human antibody was tested for blocking seeding and/or spreading of the αS lesions. Release of neurofilament light chain (NfL) into the culture medium was assessed. RESULTS To study initial stages of α-synucleinopathies, we induced αS inclusions in murine hippocampal slice cultures by seeded aggregation. Induction of αS inclusions in neurons was apparent as early as 1week post-seeding, followed by the occurrence of microglial inclusions in vicinity of the neuronal lesions at 2-3 weeks. The amount of αS inclusions was dependent on the type of αS seed and on the culture's genetic background (wildtype vs A53T-αS genotype). Formation of αS inclusions could be monitored by neurofilament light chain protein release into the culture medium, a fluid biomarker of neurodegeneration commonly used in clinical settings. Local microinjection of αS seeds resulted in spreading of αS inclusions to neuronally connected hippocampal subregions, and seeding and spreading could be inhibited by an αS seed-recognizing human antibody. We then applied parameters of the murine cultures to surgical resection-derived adult human long-term neocortical slice cultures from 22 to 61-year-old donors. Similarly, in these human slice cultures, proof-of-principle induction of αS lesions was achieved at 1week post-seeding in combination with viral A53T-αS expressions. CONCLUSION The successful translation of these brain cultures from mouse to human with the first reported induction of human αS lesions in a true adult human brain environment underlines the potential of this model to study proteopathic lesions in intact mouse and now even aged human brain environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Barth
- DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
- Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
- Graduate Training Center of Neuroscience, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Mehtap Bacioglu
- DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
- Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
- Graduate Training Center of Neuroscience, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Niklas Schwarz
- Department of Neurology and Epileptology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Renata Novotny
- DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
- Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Janine Brandes
- Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
- Department of Neurology and Epileptology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Marc Welzer
- DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
- Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
- Graduate Training Center of Neuroscience, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Sonia Mazzitelli
- DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
- Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Lisa M. Häsler
- DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
- Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Manuel Schweighauser
- DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
- Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Thomas V. Wuttke
- Department of Neurology and Epileptology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Deborah Kronenberg-Versteeg
- DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
- Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Karina Fog
- Division of Neuroscience, H. Lundbeck A/S, 2500 Valby, Denmark
| | - Malene Ambjørn
- Division of Neuroscience, H. Lundbeck A/S, 2500 Valby, Denmark
| | - Ania Alik
- MIRCen, CEA and Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, CNRS, Institut François Jacob, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Ronald Melki
- MIRCen, CEA and Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, CNRS, Institut François Jacob, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Philipp J. Kahle
- DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
- Laboratory of Functional Neurogenetics, Department of Neurodegeneration, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Derya R. Shimshek
- Neuroscience Research, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Henner Koch
- Department of Neurology and Epileptology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
- Department of Epileptology, Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Mathias Jucker
- DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
- Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Gaye Tanriöver
- DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
- Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
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17
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Super-resolution imaging reveals α-synuclein seeded aggregation in SH-SY5Y cells. Commun Biol 2021; 4:613. [PMID: 34021258 PMCID: PMC8139990 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02126-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Aggregation of α-synuclein (α-syn) is closely linked to Parkinson's disease (PD) and the related synucleinopathies. Aggregates spread through the brain during the progression of PD, but the mechanism by which this occurs is still not known. One possibility is a self-propagating, templated-seeding mechanism, but this cannot be established without quantitative information about the efficiencies and rates of the key steps in the cellular process. To address this issue, we imaged the uptake and seeding of unlabeled exogenous α-syn fibrils by SH-SY5Y cells and the resulting secreted aggregates, using super-resolution microscopy. Externally-applied fibrils very inefficiently induced self-assembly of endogenous α-syn in a process accelerated by the proteasome. Seeding resulted in the increased secretion of nanoscopic aggregates (mean 35 nm diameter), of both α-syn and Aβ. Our results suggest that cells respond to seed-induced disruption of protein homeostasis predominantly by secreting nanoscopic aggregates; this mechanism may therefore be an important protective response by cells to protein aggregation.
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18
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Hass EW, Sorrentino ZA, Lloyd GM, McFarland NR, Prokop S, Giasson BI. Robust α-synuclein pathology in select brainstem neuronal populations is a potential instigator of multiple system atrophy. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:80. [PMID: 33941284 PMCID: PMC8091528 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01173-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is an insidious middle age-onset neurodegenerative disease that clinically presents with variable degrees of parkinsonism and cerebellar ataxia. The pathological hallmark of MSA is the progressive accumulation of glial cytoplasmic inclusions (GCIs) in oligodendrocytes that are comprised of α-synuclein (αSyn) aberrantly polymerized into fibrils. Experimentally, MSA brain samples display a high level of seeding activity to induce further αSyn aggregation by a prion-like conformational mechanism. Paradoxically, αSyn is predominantly a neuronal brain protein, with only marginal levels expressed in normal or diseased oligodendrocytes, and αSyn inclusions in other neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease and Dementia with Lewy bodies, are primarily found in neurons. Although GCIs are the hallmark of MSA, using a series of new monoclonal antibodies targeting the carboxy-terminal region of αSyn, we demonstrate that neuronal αSyn pathology in MSA patient brains is remarkably abundant in the pontine nuclei and medullary inferior olivary nucleus. This neuronal αSyn pathology has distinct histological properties compared to GCIs, which allows it to remain concealed to many routine detection methods associated with altered biochemical properties of the carboxy-terminal domain of αSyn. We propose that these previously underappreciated sources of aberrant αSyn could serve as a pool of αSyn prion seeds that can initiate and continue to drive the pathogenesis of MSA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan W Hass
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, BMS J483/CTRND, 1275 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Zachary A Sorrentino
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, BMS J483/CTRND, 1275 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Grace M Lloyd
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, BMS J483/CTRND, 1275 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Nikolaus R McFarland
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Stefan Prokop
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Benoit I Giasson
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, BMS J483/CTRND, 1275 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
- McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
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19
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Lashuel HA. Alpha-Synuclein oligomerization and aggregation: All models are useful but only if we know what they model: This is the reply to a comment "Alpha-synuclein oligomerization and aggregation: A model will always be a model" on the original article "Monitoring alpha-synuclein oligomerization and aggregation using bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays: What you see is not always what you get". The articles are accompanied by a Preface "How good are cellular models?". J Neurochem 2021; 157:891-898. [PMID: 33336386 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Alpha-synuclein oligomerization is one of the early events on the pathway to Lewy body formation. Therefore, interfering with this process holds tremendous potential for developing therapies that block α-Syn pathology formation and toxicity. The development of robust and reliable cellular models of alpha-synuclein oligomerization is one important step toward achieving this goal. Unlike α-Syn fibrils, which can be detected and labeled using multiple tools and validated antibodies, α-Syn oligomers are very difficult to differentiate from soluble monomeric α-Syn in cells. This has led to increased reliance on fusing fluorescent proteins or fragments thereof to α-Syn to develop assays and cellular models to investigate α-Syn oligomerization. We recently presented results that highlight the limitation of one of these assays, the α-Syn Bimolecular Fluorescence (BIFC) assay (Frey et al. 2020b). Our findings underscored the critical importance of characterizing and validating cellular models before their use in mechanistic studies or drug discovery studies. In this commentary, I present my response to Dr Tiago Outeiro's recent commentary on this work, expand on our previous discussions on the BIFC assay, and propose an integrated approach for the development characterization, validation, and improvements of cellular models of α-Syn oligomerization and aggregation. Having access to multiple well-characterized and validated cellular models is essential not only for advancing our understanding of the biology of α-Syn and PD but also to identify novel therapeutic targets and drugs that could be successfully developed into treatments for PD and synucleinopathies. The more reliable the models, the faster we are likely to achieve these goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilal A Lashuel
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, CH, USA
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Lövestam S, Schweighauser M, Matsubara T, Murayama S, Tomita T, Ando T, Hasegawa K, Yoshida M, Tarutani A, Hasegawa M, Goedert M, Scheres SHW. Seeded assembly in vitro does not replicate the structures of α-synuclein filaments from multiple system atrophy. FEBS Open Bio 2021; 11:999-1013. [PMID: 33548114 PMCID: PMC8016116 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.13110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The propagation of conformational strains by templated seeding is central to the prion concept. Seeded assembly of α‐synuclein into filaments is believed to underlie the prion‐like spreading of protein inclusions in a number of human neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and multiple system atrophy (MSA). We previously determined the atomic structures of α‐synuclein filaments from the putamen of five individuals with MSA. Here, we used filament preparations from three of these brains for the in vitro seeded assembly of recombinant human α‐synuclein. We find that the structures of the seeded assemblies differ from those of the seeds, suggesting that additional, as yet unknown, factors play a role in the propagation of the seeds. Identification of these factors will be essential for understanding the prion‐like spreading of α‐synuclein proteinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Tomoyasu Matsubara
- Department of Neuropathology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Japan
| | - Shigeo Murayama
- Department of Neuropathology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Japan
| | - Taisuke Tomita
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takashi Ando
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
| | | | - Mari Yoshida
- Institute for Medical Science of Aging, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute, Japan
| | - Airi Tarutani
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Brain and Neurosciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Japan
| | - Masato Hasegawa
- Department of Brain and Neurosciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Japan
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Tanriöver G, Bacioglu M, Schweighauser M, Mahler J, Wegenast-Braun BM, Skodras A, Obermüller U, Barth M, Kronenberg-Versteeg D, Nilsson KPR, Shimshek DR, Kahle PJ, Eisele YS, Jucker M. Prominent microglial inclusions in transgenic mouse models of α-synucleinopathy that are distinct from neuronal lesions. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2020; 8:133. [PMID: 32787922 PMCID: PMC7425556 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-020-00993-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Alpha-synucleinopathies are a group of progressive neurodegenerative disorders, characterized by intracellular deposits of aggregated α-synuclein (αS). The clinical heterogeneity of these diseases is thought to be attributed to conformers (or strains) of αS but the contribution of inclusions in various cell types is unclear. The aim of the present work was to study αS conformers among different transgenic (TG) mouse models of α-synucleinopathies. To this end, four different TG mouse models were studied (Prnp-h[A53T]αS; Thy1-h[A53T]αS; Thy1-h[A30P]αS; Thy1-mαS) that overexpress human or murine αS and differed in their age-of-symptom onset and subsequent disease progression. Postmortem analysis of end-stage brains revealed robust neuronal αS pathology as evidenced by accumulation of αS serine 129 (p-αS) phosphorylation in the brainstem of all four TG mouse lines. Overall appearance of the pathology was similar and only modest differences were observed among additionally affected brain regions. To study αS conformers in these mice, we used pentameric formyl thiophene acetic acid (pFTAA), a fluorescent dye with amyloid conformation-dependent spectral properties. Unexpectedly, besides the neuronal αS pathology, we also found abundant pFTAA-positive inclusions in microglia of all four TG mouse lines. These microglial inclusions were also positive for Thioflavin S and showed immunoreactivity with antibodies recognizing the N-terminus of αS, but were largely p-αS-negative. In all four lines, spectral pFTAA analysis revealed conformational differences between microglia and neuronal inclusions but not among the different mouse models. Concomitant with neuronal lesions, microglial inclusions were already present at presymptomatic stages and could also be induced by seeded αS aggregation. Although nature and significance of microglial inclusions for human α-synucleinopathies remain to be clarified, the previously overlooked abundance of microglial inclusions in TG mouse models of α-synucleinopathy bears importance for mechanistic and preclinical-translational studies.
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