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Gubinelli F, Sarauskyte L, Venuti C, Kulacz I, Cazzolla G, Negrini M, Anwer D, Vecchio I, Jakobs F, Manfredsson F, Davidsson M, Heuer A. Characterisation of functional deficits induced by AAV overexpression of alpha-synuclein in rats. CURRENT RESEARCH IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2022; 4:100065. [PMID: 36632447 PMCID: PMC9827042 DOI: 10.1016/j.crneur.2022.100065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In the last decades different preclinical animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD) have been generated, aiming to mimic the progressive neuronal loss of midbrain dopaminergic (DA) cells as well as motor and non-motor impairment. Among all the available models, AAV-based models of human alpha-synuclein (h-aSYN) overexpression are promising tools for investigation of disease progression and therapeutic interventions. Objectives The goal with this work was to characterise the impairment in motor and non-motor domains following nigrostriatal overexpression of h-aSYN and correlate the behavioural deficits with histological assessment of associated pathology. Methods Intranigral injection of an AAV9 expressing h-aSYN was compared with untreated animals, 6-OHDA and AAV9 expressing either no transgene or GFP. The animals were assessed on a series of simple and complex behavioural tasks probing motor and non-motor domains. Post-mortem neuropathology was analysed using immunohistochemical methods. Results Overexpression of h-aSYN led to progressive degeneration of DA neurons of the SN and axonal terminals in the striatum (STR). We observed extensive nigral and striatal pathology, resembling that of human PD brain, as well as the development of stable progressive deficit in simple motor tasks and in non-motor domains such as deficits in motivation and lateralised neglect. Conclusions In the present work we characterized a rat model of PD that closely resembles human PD pathology at the histological and behavioural level. The correlation of cell loss with behavioural performance enables the selection of rats which can be used in neuroprotective or neurorestorative therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- F. Gubinelli
- Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - L. Sarauskyte
- Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - C. Venuti
- Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - I. Kulacz
- Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - G. Cazzolla
- Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - M. Negrini
- Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - D. Anwer
- Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - I. Vecchio
- Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - F. Jakobs
- Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - F.P. Manfredsson
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - M. Davidsson
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA,Molecular Neuromodulation, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - A. Heuer
- Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden,Corresponding author. Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Lund University, Sölvegatan 19, 22 184, Lund, Sweden.
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Lunev E, Karan A, Egorova T, Bardina M. Adeno-Associated Viruses for Modeling Neurological Diseases in Animals: Achievements and Prospects. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10051140. [PMID: 35625877 PMCID: PMC9139062 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10051140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Revised: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors have become an attractive tool for efficient gene transfer into animal tissues. Extensively studied as the vehicles for therapeutic constructs in gene therapy, AAVs are also applied for creating animal models of human genetic disorders. Neurological disorders are challenging to model in laboratory animals by transgenesis or genome editing, at least partially due to the embryonic lethality and the timing of the disease onset. Therefore, gene transfer with AAV vectors provides a more flexible option for simulating genetic neurological disorders. Indeed, the design of the AAV expression construct allows the reproduction of various disease-causing mutations, and also drives neuron-specific expression. The natural and newly created AAV serotypes combined with various delivery routes enable differentially targeting neuronal cell types and brain areas in vivo. Moreover, the same viral vector can be used to reproduce the main features of the disorder in mice, rats, and large laboratory animals such as non-human primates. The current review demonstrates the general principles for the development and use of AAVs in modeling neurological diseases. The latest achievements in AAV-mediated modeling of the common (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, ataxias, etc.) and ultra-rare disorders affecting the central nervous system are described. The use of AAVs to create multiple animal models of neurological disorders opens opportunities for studying their mechanisms, understanding the main pathological features, and testing therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgenii Lunev
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia
- Marlin Biotech LLC, 354340 Sochi, Russia; (A.K.); (T.E.)
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia
- Correspondence: (E.L.); (M.B.)
| | - Anna Karan
- Marlin Biotech LLC, 354340 Sochi, Russia; (A.K.); (T.E.)
| | - Tatiana Egorova
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia
- Marlin Biotech LLC, 354340 Sochi, Russia; (A.K.); (T.E.)
| | - Maryana Bardina
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia
- Marlin Biotech LLC, 354340 Sochi, Russia; (A.K.); (T.E.)
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia
- Correspondence: (E.L.); (M.B.)
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Lateralized deficits after unilateral AAV-vector based overexpression of alpha-synuclein in the midbrain of rats on drug-free behavioural tests. Behav Brain Res 2022; 429:113887. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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Kelly R, Bemelmans AP, Joséphine C, Brouillet E, McKernan DP, Dowd E. Time-Course of Alterations in the Endocannabinoid System after Viral-Mediated Overexpression of α-Synuclein in the Rat Brain. Molecules 2022; 27:507. [PMID: 35056822 PMCID: PMC8778740 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27020507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the discovery of α-synuclein as the major component in Lewy bodies, research into this protein in the context of Parkinson's disease pathology has been exponential. Cannabinoids are being investigated as potential therapies for Parkinson's disease from numerous aspects, but still little is known about the links between the cannabinoid system and the pathogenic α-synuclein protein; understanding these links will be necessary if cannabinoid therapies are to reach the clinic in the future. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the time-course of alterations in components of the endocannabinoid system after viral-mediated α-synuclein overexpression in the rat brain. Rats were given unilateral intranigral injections of AAV-GFP or AAV-α-synuclein and sacrificed 4, 8 and 12 weeks later for qRT-PCR and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses of the endocannabinoid system, in addition to histological visualization of α-synuclein expression along the nigrostriatal pathway. As anticipated, intranigral delivery of AAV-α-synuclein induced widespread overexpression of human α-synuclein in the nigrostriatal pathway, both at the mRNA level and the protein level. However, despite this profound α-synuclein overexpression, we detected no differences in CB1 or CB2 receptor expression in the nigrostriatal pathway; however, interestingly, there was a reduction in the expression of neuroinflammatory markers. Furthermore, there was a reduction in the levels of the endocannabinoid 2-AG and the related lipid immune mediator OEA at week 12 post-surgery, indicating that α-synuclein overexpression triggers dysregulation of the endocannabinoid system. Although this research does show that the endocannabinoid system is impacted by α-synuclein, further research is necessary to more comprehensively understand the link between the cannabinoid system and the α-synuclein aspect of Parkinson's disease pathology in order for cannabinoid-based therapies to be feasible for the treatment of this disease in the coming years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Kelly
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics and Galway Neuroscience Centre, National University of Ireland Galway, H91 W5P7 Galway, Ireland; (R.K.); (D.P.M.)
| | - Alexis-Pierre Bemelmans
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Laboratory, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Paris-Saclay University, CEA, CNRS, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; (A.-P.B.); (C.J.); (E.B.)
| | - Charlène Joséphine
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Laboratory, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Paris-Saclay University, CEA, CNRS, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; (A.-P.B.); (C.J.); (E.B.)
| | - Emmanuel Brouillet
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Laboratory, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Paris-Saclay University, CEA, CNRS, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; (A.-P.B.); (C.J.); (E.B.)
| | - Declan P. McKernan
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics and Galway Neuroscience Centre, National University of Ireland Galway, H91 W5P7 Galway, Ireland; (R.K.); (D.P.M.)
| | - Eilís Dowd
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics and Galway Neuroscience Centre, National University of Ireland Galway, H91 W5P7 Galway, Ireland; (R.K.); (D.P.M.)
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Negrini M, Tomasello G, Davidsson M, Fenyi A, Adant C, Hauser S, Espa E, Gubinelli F, Manfredsson FP, Melki R, Heuer A. Sequential or Simultaneous Injection of Preformed Fibrils and AAV Overexpression of Alpha-Synuclein Are Equipotent in Producing Relevant Pathology and Behavioral Deficits. JOURNAL OF PARKINSON'S DISEASE 2022; 12:1133-1153. [PMID: 35213388 PMCID: PMC9198765 DOI: 10.3233/jpd-212555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Preclinical rodent models for Parkinson's disease (PD) based on viral human alpha-synuclein (h-αSyn) overexpression recapitulate some of the pathological hallmarks as it presents in humans, such as progressive cell loss and additional synucleinopathy in cortical and subcortical structures. Recent studies have combined viral vector-based overexpression of human wild-type αSyn with the sequential or simultaneous inoculation of preformed fibrils (PFFs) derived from human αSyn. OBJECTIVE The goal of the study was to investigate whether sequential or combined delivery of the AAV vector and the PFFs are equipotent in inducing stable neurodegeneration and behavioral deficits. METHODS Here we compare between four experimental paradigms (PFFs only, AAV-h-αSyn only, AAV-h-αSyn with simultaneous PFFs, and AAV-h-αSyn with sequential PFFs) and their respective GFP control groups. RESULTS We observed reduction of TH expression and loss of neurons in the midbrain in all AAV (h-αSyn or GFP) injected groups, with or without additional PFFs inoculation. The overexpression of either h-αSyn or GFP alone induced motor deficits and dysfunctional dopamine release/reuptake in electrochemical recordings in the ipsilateral striatum. However, we observed a substantial formation of insoluble h-αSyn aggregates and inflammatory response only when h-αSyn and PFFs were combined. Moreover, the presence of h-αSyn induced higher axonal pathology compared to control groups. CONCLUSION Simultaneous AAV and PFFs injections are equipotent in the presented experimental setup in inducing histopathological and behavioral changes. This model provides new and interesting possibilities for characterizing PD pathology in preclinical models and means to assess future therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matilde Negrini
- Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Giuseppe Tomasello
- Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Marcus Davidsson
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
- Molecular Neuromodulation, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Alexis Fenyi
- Institut Francois Jacob (MIRCen), CEA and Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, CNRS, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Cécile Adant
- Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Swantje Hauser
- Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Elena Espa
- Basal Ganglia Pathophysiology Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Francesco Gubinelli
- Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Fredric P. Manfredsson
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Ronald Melki
- Institut Francois Jacob (MIRCen), CEA and Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, CNRS, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Andreas Heuer
- Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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Kelly R, Cairns AG, Ådén J, Almqvist F, Bemelmans AP, Brouillet E, Patton T, McKernan DP, Dowd E. The Small Molecule Alpha-Synuclein Aggregator, FN075, Enhances Alpha-Synuclein Pathology in Subclinical AAV Rat Models. Biomolecules 2021; 11:1685. [PMID: 34827685 PMCID: PMC8615715 DOI: 10.3390/biom11111685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal models of Parkinson's disease, in which the human α-synuclein transgene is overexpressed in the nigrostriatal pathway using viral vectors, are widely considered to be the most relevant models of the human condition. However, although highly valid, these models have major limitations related to reliability and variability, with many animals exhibiting pronounced α-synuclein expression failing to demonstrate nigrostriatal neurodegeneration or motor dysfunction. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine if sequential intra-nigral administration of AAV-α-synuclein followed by the small α-synuclein aggregating molecule, FN075, would enhance or precipitate the associated α-synucleinopathy, nigrostriatal pathology and motor dysfunction in subclinical models. Rats were given unilateral intra-nigral injections of AAV-α-synuclein (either wild-type or A53T mutant) followed four weeks later by a unilateral intra-nigral injection of FN075, after which they underwent behavioral testing for lateralized motor functionality until they were sacrificed for immunohistological assessment at 20 weeks after AAV administration. In line with expectations, both of the AAV vectors induced widespread overexpression of human α-synuclein in the substantia nigra and striatum. Sequential administration of FN075 significantly enhanced the α-synuclein pathology with increased density and accumulation of the pathological form of the protein phosphorylated at serine 129 (pS129-α-synuclein). However, despite this enhanced α-synuclein pathology, FN075 did not precipitate nigrostriatal degeneration or motor dysfunction in these subclinical AAV models. In conclusion, FN075 holds significant promise as an approach to enhancing the α-synuclein pathology in viral overexpression models, but further studies are required to determine if alternative administration regimes for this molecule could improve the reliability and variability in these models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Kelly
- Pharmacology & Therapeutics and Galway Neuroscience Centre, National University of Ireland Galway, H91 W5P7 Galway, Ireland; (R.K.); (T.P.); (D.P.M.)
| | - Andrew G. Cairns
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden; (A.G.C.); (J.Å.); (F.A.)
| | - Jörgen Ådén
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden; (A.G.C.); (J.Å.); (F.A.)
| | - Fredrik Almqvist
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden; (A.G.C.); (J.Å.); (F.A.)
| | - Alexis-Pierre Bemelmans
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, MIRCen, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; (A.-P.B.); (E.B.)
| | - Emmanuel Brouillet
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, MIRCen, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; (A.-P.B.); (E.B.)
| | - Tommy Patton
- Pharmacology & Therapeutics and Galway Neuroscience Centre, National University of Ireland Galway, H91 W5P7 Galway, Ireland; (R.K.); (T.P.); (D.P.M.)
| | - Declan P. McKernan
- Pharmacology & Therapeutics and Galway Neuroscience Centre, National University of Ireland Galway, H91 W5P7 Galway, Ireland; (R.K.); (T.P.); (D.P.M.)
| | - Eilís Dowd
- Pharmacology & Therapeutics and Galway Neuroscience Centre, National University of Ireland Galway, H91 W5P7 Galway, Ireland; (R.K.); (T.P.); (D.P.M.)
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Translocation of TMEM175 Lysosomal Potassium Channel to the Plasma Membrane by Dynasore Compounds. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms221910515. [PMID: 34638858 PMCID: PMC8508992 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
TMEM175 (transmembrane protein 175) coding sequence variants are associated with increased risk of Parkinson’s disease. TMEM175 is the ubiquitous lysosomal K+ channel regulated by growth factor receptor signaling and direct interaction with protein kinase B (PKB/Akt). In the present study, we show that the expression of mouse TMEM175 results in very small K+ currents through the plasma membrane in Xenopus laevis oocytes, in good accordance with the previously reported intracellular localization of the channel. However, the application of the dynamin inhibitor compounds, dynasore or dyngo-4a, substantially increased TMEM175 currents measured by the two-electrode voltage clamp method. TMEM175 was more permeable to cesium than potassium ions, voltage-dependently blocked by 4-aminopyridine (4-AP), and slightly inhibited by extracellular acidification. Immunocytochemistry experiments indicated that dyngo-4a increased the amount of epitope-tagged TMEM175 channel on the cell surface. The coexpression of dominant-negative dynamin, and the inhibition of clathrin- or caveolin-dependent endocytosis increased TMEM175 current much less than dynasore. Therefore, dynamin-independent pharmacological effects of dynasore may also contribute to the action on the channel. TMEM175 current rapidly decays after the withdrawal of dynasore, raising the possibility that an efficient internalization mechanism removes the channel from the plasma membrane. Dyngo-4a induced about 20-fold larger TMEM175 currents than the PKB activator SC79, or the coexpression of a constitutively active mutant PKB with the channel. In contrast, the allosteric PKB inhibitor MK2206 diminished the TMEM175 current in the presence of dyngo-4a. These data suggest that, in addition to the lysosomes, PKB-dependent regulation also influences TMEM175 current in the plasma membrane.
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