scholarly journals Oligomerization of Lrrk controls actin severing and α-synuclein neurotoxicity in vivo

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Souvarish Sarkar ◽  
Farah Bardai ◽  
Abby L. Olsen ◽  
Kelly M. Lohr ◽  
Ying-Yi Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Neuronal Degeneration ◽  
Mitochondrial Dynamics ◽  
Actin Dynamics ◽  
Human Neurons ◽  
Biochemical Analyses ◽  
And Function

Abstract Background Mutations in LRRK2 are the most common cause of familial Parkinson’s disease and typically cause disease in the context of abnormal aggregation and deposition of α-synuclein within affected brain tissue. Methods We combine genetic analysis of Lrrk-associated toxicity in a penetrant Drosophila model of wild type human α-synuclein neurotoxicity with biochemical analyses and modeling of LRRK2 toxicity in human neurons and transgenic mouse models. Results We demonstrate that Lrrk and α-synuclein interact to promote neuronal degeneration through convergent effects on the actin cytoskeleton and downstream dysregulation of mitochondrial dynamics and function. We find specifically that monomers and dimers of Lrrk efficiently sever actin and promote normal actin dynamics in vivo. Oligomerization of Lrrk, which is promoted by dominant Parkinson’s disease-causing mutations, reduces actin severing activity in vitro and promotes excess stabilization of F-actin in vivo. Importantly, a clinically protective Lrrk mutant reduces oligomerization and α-synuclein neurotoxicity. Conclusions Our findings provide a specific mechanistic link between two key molecules in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease, α-synuclein and LRRK2, and suggest potential new approaches for therapy development.

scholarly journals Grafts Derived from an α-Synuclein Triplication Patient Mediate Functional Recovery but Develop Disease-Associated Pathology in the 6-OHDA Model of Parkinson’s Disease

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Shelby Shrigley ◽  
Fredrik Nilsson ◽  
Bengt Mattsson ◽  
Alessandro Fiorenzano ◽  
Janitha Mudannayake ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Functional Recovery ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Hesc Line ◽  
Alternative Source ◽  
And Function

Background: Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have been proposed as an alternative source for cell replacement therapy for Parkinson’s disease (PD) and they provide the option of using the patient’s own cells. A few studies have investigated transplantation of patient-derived dopaminergic (DA) neurons in preclinical models; however, little is known about the long-term integrity and function of grafts derived from patients with PD. Objective: To assess the viability and function of DA neuron grafts derived from a patient hiPSC line with an α-synuclein gene triplication (AST18), using a clinical grade human embryonic stem cell (hESC) line (RC17) as a reference control. Methods: Cells were differentiated into ventral mesencephalic (VM)-patterned DA progenitors using an established GMP protocol. The progenitors were then either terminally differentiated to mature DA neurons in vitro or transplanted into 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesioned rats and their survival, maturation, function, and propensity to develop α-synuclein related pathology, were assessed in vivo. Results: Both cell lines generated functional neurons with DA properties in vitro. AST18-derived VM progenitor cells survived transplantation and matured into neuron-rich grafts similar to the RC17 cells. After 24 weeks, both cell lines produced DA-rich grafts that mediated full functional recovery; however, pathological changes were only observed in grafts derived from the α-synuclein triplication patient line. Conclusion: This data shows proof-of-principle for survival and functional recovery with familial PD patient-derived cells in the 6-OHDA model of PD. However, signs of slowly developing pathology warrants further investigation before use of autologous grafts in patients.

scholarly journals 3433 Tissue Engineered Nigrostriatal Pathway as a Test-Bed for Evaluating Axonal Pathophysiology in Parkinson’s disease

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (s1) ◽  
pp. 25-25
Author(s):  
Elisia Clark ◽  
Laura Struzyna ◽  
Wisberty Gordián-Vélez ◽  
Kacy Cullen
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Confocal Microscopy ◽  
Dopaminergic Neurons ◽  
Mitochondrial Dynamics ◽  
In Vitro Test ◽  
Nigrostriatal Pathway ◽  
Test Bed

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Selective loss of long-projecting neural circuitry is a common feature of many neurodegenerative diseases, such as the vulnerable nigrostriatal pathway in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Current in vitro approaches for studying disease development generally do not mimic complex anatomical features of the afflicted substrates such as long axonal pathways between stereotypical neural populations. Such exquisite features are not only crucial for neural systems function but may also contribute to the preferential vulnerability and pathophysiological progression of these structures in neurodegenerative disease. We have previously developed micro-tissue engineered neural networks to recapitulate the anatomy of long-projecting cortical axonal tracts encased in a tubular hydrogel.1 Recently, we have extended this work to include the first tissue-engineered nigrostriatal pathway that was anatomically-inspired to replicate the structure and function of the native pathway.2 Notably, this tissue-engineered brain pathway possesses three-dimensional (3D) structure, multicellular composition, and architecture of long axonal tracts between distinct neuronal populations. Therefore, in the current study we apply this system as a biofidelic test-bed for evaluating axonal pathway development, maturation, and pathophysiology. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Dopaminergic neurons from the ventral mesencephalon and medium spiny neurons (MSNs) from the striatum were separately isolated from rat embryos. Tissue-engineered nigrostriatal pathways were formed by initially seeding dopaminergic neuron aggregates at one end of hollow hydrogel micro-columns with a central extracellular matrix, collectively spanning up to several centimeters in length. Several days later, tissue-engineered MSN aggregate was seeded on the other end and was allowed to integrate. Immunocytochemistry (ICC) and confocal microscopy were used to assess health, cytoarchitecture, synaptic integration, and mitochondrial dynamics with stains that label cell nuclei (Hoechst) and mitochondria (MitoTracker Red) and antibodies that recognize axons (anti-β-tubulinIII), neurons/dendrites (anti-MAP2), dopaminergic neurons/axons (anti-tyrosine hydroxylase; TH), and MSNs (anti-DARPP-32). RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Seeding tubular micro-columns with dopaminergic neuronal aggregates resulted in unidirectional axonal extension, ultimately spanning >5mm by 14 days in vitro. For constructs also seeded with Tissue-engineered, ICC confirmed the presence of the appropriate neuronal sub-types in the two aggregate populations, specifically TH+ dopaminergic neurons and DARPP-32+ MSNs. Moreover, confocal microscopy revealed extensive axonal-dendritic integration and synapse formation involving the dopaminergic axons and MSN somata/dendrites. Collectively, these constructs mimicked the general cytoarchitecture of the in vivo nigrostriatal pathway: a discrete population of dopaminergic neurons with long-projecting 3D axonal tracts that were synaptically integrated with a population of MSNs. Mitochondria structure along axonal tracts was also observed using MitoTracker staining, revealing dynamic intra-axonal mitochondrial motility in this system. Ongoing studies are evaluating real-time mitochondrial dynamics and axonal physiology in this tissue-engineered nigrostriatal pathway in vitro, under both baseline conditions as well as following the addition of exogenous α-Synuclein fibrils to model synucleinopathy in PD. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: This tissue-engineered nigrostriatal pathway provides an anatomically-inspired platform with neuronal-axonal architecture that structurally and functionally emulates the nigrostriatal pathway in vivo. We are applying this paradigm as a powerful in vitro test-bed for understanding mitochondrial activity and inter-axonal energetics pathways under homeostatic as well as PD pathological conditions. Successful demonstration will serve as proof-of-concept that this technique can be used to study mitochondria pathology in personalized constructs built using cells derived from PD patients in order to evaluate pharmacological therapies targeted at improving mitochondrial resiliency and fitness so as to delay and/or prevent dopaminergic axonal/neuronal degeneration in tailored to specific PD patients.

scholarly journals Genes Implicated in Familial Parkinson’s Disease Provide a Dual Picture of Nigral Dopaminergic Neurodegeneration with Mitochondria Taking Center Stage

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
pp. 4643
Author(s):  
Rafael Franco ◽  
Rafael Rivas-Santisteban ◽  
Gemma Navarro ◽  
Annalisa Pinna ◽  
Irene Reyes-Resina
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Neuronal Degeneration ◽  
Transgenic Animals ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Protein Processing ◽  
Vesicular Trafficking ◽  
Common Denominator

The mechanism of nigral dopaminergic neuronal degeneration in Parkinson’s disease (PD) is unknown. One of the pathological characteristics of the disease is the deposition of α-synuclein (α-syn) that occurs in the brain from both familial and sporadic PD patients. This paper constitutes a narrative review that takes advantage of information related to genes (SNCA, LRRK2, GBA, UCHL1, VPS35, PRKN, PINK1, ATP13A2, PLA2G6, DNAJC6, SYNJ1, DJ-1/PARK7 and FBXO7) involved in familial cases of Parkinson’s disease (PD) to explore their usefulness in deciphering the origin of dopaminergic denervation in many types of PD. Direct or functional interactions between genes or gene products are evaluated using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING) database. The rationale is to propose a map of the interactions between SNCA, the gene encoding for α-syn that aggregates in PD, and other genes, the mutations of which lead to early-onset PD. The map contrasts with the findings obtained using animal models that are the knockout of one of those genes or that express the mutated human gene. From combining in silico data from STRING-based assays with in vitro and in vivo data in transgenic animals, two likely mechanisms appeared: (i) the processing of native α-syn is altered due to the mutation of genes involved in vesicular trafficking and protein processing, or (ii) α-syn mutants alter the mechanisms necessary for the correct vesicular trafficking and protein processing. Mitochondria are a common denominator since both mechanisms require extra energy production, and the energy for the survival of neurons is obtained mainly from the complete oxidation of glucose. Dopamine itself can result in an additional burden to the mitochondria of dopaminergic neurons because its handling produces free radicals. Drugs acting on G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in the mitochondria of neurons may hopefully end up targeting those receptors to reduce oxidative burden and increase mitochondrial performance. In summary, the analysis of the data of genes related to familial PD provides relevant information on the etiology of sporadic cases and might suggest new therapeutic approaches.

scholarly journals Current Drugs and Potential Future Neuroprotective Compounds for Parkinson’s Disease

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 295-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iván Carrera ◽  
Ramón Cacabelos
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Cholesterol Metabolism ◽  
Neuronal Degeneration ◽  
Research Progress ◽  
Protective Agent ◽  
In Vivo Models ◽  
Beneficial Effects

The research progress of understanding the etiology and pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD) has yet lead to the development of some clinical approaches intended to treat cognitive and behavioral symptoms, such as memory and perception disorders. Despite the major advances in different genetic causes and risk factors for PD, which share common pathways to cell dysfunction and death, there is not yet a complete model of PD that can be used to accurately predict the effect of drugs on disease progression. Clinical trials are also important to test any novel neuro-protective agent, and recently there have been great advances in the use of anti-inflammatory drugs and plant flavonoid antioxidants to protect against specific neuronal degeneration and its interference with lipid and cholesterol metabolism. The increasing knowledge of the molecular events underlying the degenerative process of PD has stimulated research to identify natural compounds capable of halting or slowing the progress of neural deterioration. Polyphenols and flavonoids, which play a neuroprotective role in a wide array of in vitro and in vivo models of neurological disorders, emerged from among the multi-target bio-agents found mainly in plants and microorganisms. This review presents a detailed overview of the multimodal activities of neuroprotective bio-agents tested so far, emphasizing their neurorescue/neuroregenerative activity. The brain-penetrating property of bioagents may make these compounds an important class of natural drugs for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Although there are numerous studies demonstrating beneficial effects in the laboratory by identifying critical molecular targets, the clinical efficacy of these neuroprotective treatments remains to be proven accurately.

scholarly journals Neuroprotective Effect of Optimized Yinxieling Formula in 6-OHDA-Induced Chronic Model of Parkinson’s Disease through the Inflammation Pathway

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renrong Wei ◽  
Cuiping Rong ◽  
Qingfeng Xie ◽  
Shouhai Wu ◽  
Yuchao Feng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Calcium Binding ◽  
Dopaminergic Neurons ◽  
Neuroprotective Effect ◽  
Interleukin 1 ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Cox 2

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN)-striatum circuit, which is associated with glial activation and consequent chronic neuroinflammation. Optimized Yinxieling Formula (OYF) is a Chinese medicine that exerts therapeutical effect and antiinflammation property on psoriasis. Our previous study has proven that pretreatment with OYF could regulate glia-mediated inflammation in an acute mouse model of PD induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine. Given that PD is a chronic degeneration disorder, this study applied another PD animal model induced by striatal injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) to mimic the progressive damage of the SN-striatum dopamine system in rats. The OYF was administrated in the manner of pretreatment plus treatment. The effects of the OYF on motor behaviors were assessed with the apomorphine-induced rotation test and adjusting steps test. To confirm the effect of OYF on dopaminergic neurons and glia activation in this model, we analyzed the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and glia markers, ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba-1), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the SN region of the rat PD model. Inflammation-associated factors, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), were further evaluated in this model and in interferon-γ- (INF-γ-) induced murine macrophages RAW264.7 cells. The results from the in vivo study showed that OYF reversed the motor behavioral dysfunction in 6-OHDA-induced PD rats, upregulated the TH expression, decreased the immunoreactivity of Iba-1 and GFAP, and downregulated the mRNA levels of TNF-α and COX-2. The OYF also trended to decrease the mRNA levels of IL-1β and iNOS in vivo. The results from the in vitro study showed that OYF significantly decreased the mRNA levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, iNOS, and COX-2. Therefore, this study suggests that OYF exerts antiinflammatory effects, which might be related to the protection of dopaminergic neurons in 6-OHDA-induced chronic neurotoxicity.

Simvastatin Prevents Neurodegeneration in the MPTP Mouse Model of Parkinson’s Disease via Inhibition of A1 Reactive Astrocytes

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Ren-Wei Du ◽  
Wen-Guang Bu
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Mouse Model ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Reactive Astrocytes ◽  
Dopamine Neurons ◽  
Neuron Death ◽  
Neurologic Disorders

Emerging evidence indicates that A1 reactive astrocytes play crucial roles in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Thus, development of agents that could inhibit the formation of A1 reactive astrocytes could be used to treat PD. Simvastatin has been touted as a potential neuroprotective agent for neurologic disorders such as PD, but the specific underlying mechanism remains unclear. The 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) mouse model of PD and primary astrocytes/neurons were prepared to investigate the effects of simvastatin on PD and its underlying mechanisms in vitro and in vivo. We show that simvastatin protects against the loss of dopamine neurons and behavioral deficits in the MPTP mouse model of PD. We also found that simvastatin suppressed the expression of A1 astrocytic specific markers in vivo and in vitro. In addition, simvastatin alleviated neuron death induced by A1 astrocytes. Our findings reveal that simvastatin is neuroprotective via the prevention of conversion of astrocytes to an A1 neurotoxic phenotype. In light of simvastatin favorable properties, it should be evaluated in the treatment of PD and related neurologic disorders characterized by A1 reactive astrocytes.

Pharmacological Blocker of NF-κb and Mitochondrial Ros Restrict NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation and Rescue Dopaminergic Neurons in Vitro and in Vivo Parkinson’s Disease

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sahabuddin Ahmed ◽  
Samir Ranjan Panda ◽  
Mohit Kwatra ◽  
Bidya Dhar Sahu ◽  
VGM Naidu
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Free Radicals ◽  
Nlrp3 Inflammasome ◽  
Nuclear Translocation ◽  
Inflammasome Activation ◽  
Mitochondrial Ros ◽  
Nlrp3 Inflammasome Activation

Abstract Several activators of NLRP3 inflammasome have been described; however, the central mechanisms of NLRP3 inflammasome activation in brain microglia, especially at the activating step through free radical generation, still require further clarification. Hence the present study aimed to investigate the role of free radicals in activating NLRP3 inflammasome driven neurodegeneration and elucidated the neuroprotective role of perillyl alcohol (PA) in vitro and in vivo models of Parkinson’s disease. Initial priming of microglial cells with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) following treatment with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) induces NF-κB translocation to nucleus with robust generation of free radicals that act as Signal 2 in augmenting NLRP3 inflammasome assembly and its downstream targets. PA treatment suppresses nuclear translocation of NF-κB and maintains cellular redox homeostasis in microglia that limits NLRP3 inflammasome activation along with processing active caspase-1, IL-1β and IL-18. To further correlates the in vitro study with in vivo MPTP model, treatment with PA also inhibits the nuclear translocation of NF-κB and downregulates the NLRP3 inflammasome activation. PA administration upregulates various antioxidant enzymes levels and restored the level of dopamine and other neurotransmitters in the striatum of the mice brain with improved behavioural activities. Additionally, treatment with Mito-TEMPO (a mitochondrial ROS inhibitor) was also seen to inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome and rescue dopaminergic neuron loss in the mice brain. Therefore, we conclude that NLRP3 inflammasome activation requires a signal from damaged mitochondria for its activation. Further pharmacological scavenging of free radicals restricts microglia activation and simultaneously supports neuronal survival via targeting NLRP3 inflammasome pathway in Parkinson’s disease.

BAG1 is Neuroprotective in In Vivo and In Vitro Models of Parkinson’s Disease

2014 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 587-595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pawel Kermer ◽  
Anja Köhn ◽  
Marlena Schnieder ◽  
Paul Lingor ◽  
Mathias Bähr ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
In Vitro Models

scholarly journals Protective effects of saffron and its constituent crocetin to motor symptoms, short life span and rough-eyed phenotypes in the fly models of Parkinson’s disease in vivo

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eiji Inoue ◽  
Takahiro Suzuki ◽  
Yasuharu Shimizu ◽  
Keiichi Sudo ◽  
Haruhisa Kawasaki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Life Span ◽  
Neurodegenerative Disorder ◽  
Neuronal Cell ◽  
Crocus Sativus ◽  
Motor Symptoms ◽  
Protective Effects

AbstractParkinson’s disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder with motor symptoms linked to the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the brain. α-Synuclein is an aggregation-prone neural protein that plays a role in the pathogenesis of PD. In our previous paper, we found that saffron; the stigma of Crocus sativus Linné (Iridaceae), and its constituents (crocin and crocetin) suppressed aggregation of α-synuclein and promoted the dissociation of α-synuclein fibrils in vitro. In this study, we investigated the effect of dietary saffron and its constituent, crocetin, in vivo on a fly PD model overexpressing several mutant α-synuclein in a tissue-specific manner. Saffron and crocetin significantly suppressed the decrease of climbing ability in the Drosophila overexpressing A30P (A30P fly PD model) or G51D (G51D fly PD model) mutated α-synuclein in neurons. Saffron and crocetin extended the life span in the G51D fly PD model. Saffron suppressed the rough-eyed phenotype and the dispersion of the size histogram of the ocular long axis in A30P fly PD model in eye. Saffron had a cytoprotective effect on a human neuronal cell line with α-synuclein fibrils. These data showed that saffron and its constituent crocetin have protective effects on the progression of PD disease in animals in vivo and suggest that saffron and crocetin can be used to treat PD.

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