Submit site search
  • A prebiotic diet modulates microglia response and motor deficits in α-synuclein overexpressing mice

    By on

    Single-cell RNA-seq analysis of microglia from the substantia nigra and striatum uncovers increased pro-inflammatory signaling and reduced homeostatic responses in ASO mice compared to wild-type counterparts on standard diets. However, prebiotic feeding reverses pathogenic microglial states in ASO mice and promotes expansion of protective disease-associated macrophage (DAM) subsets of microglia. Notably, depletion of microglia using a CSF1R inhibitor eliminates the beneficial effects of prebiotics by restoring motor deficits to ASO mice despite feeding a prebiotic diet. These studies uncover a novel microglia-dependent interaction between diet and motor symptoms in mice, findings that may have implications for neuroinflammation and PD.

  • Single cell analysis of iPSC-derived midbrain organoids

    By on

    The following script was used for analysis of gene corrected (GC) versus GBA1 mutant (MUT) midbrain organoids. The purpose was to combine, filter, integrate, and identify clusters and differentially expressed genes sets. This is part of a Collection of protocols (dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.8epv593dng1b/v1) for the paper "Glucocerebrosidase, a Parkinson´s disease-associated protein, is imported into mitochondria and regulates complex I assembly and function" (https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-1521848/v1)

  • Subcellular and regional localization of mRNA translation in midbrain dopamine neurons

    By on

    Using, highly sensitive ribosome-bound RNA sequencing and imaging to characterize the translatome, the authors uncovered local mRNA translation of dopamine synthesis, release, and reuptake machinery in dendrites, but not axons.

  • STC-1 cell culture

    By on

    Cell culture of STC-1 mouse enteroendocrine cells.

  • qPCR of α-synuclein, TNF and NF-κβ

    By on

    A procedure for quantitative real time reverse transcription PCR of α-synuclein, TNF, and NF-κβ.

  • Immunohistochemistry using paraffin embedded tissue

    By on

    Immunohistochemistry using paraffin embedded tissue

  • Datasets associated with “Peripheral Neuronal Activation Shapes the Microbiome and Alters Gut Physiology”

    By on

    Dataset associated with the publication "Peripheral Neuronal Activation Shapes the Microbiome and Alters Gut Physiology"

  • Immunohistochemistry (IHC)

    By on

    Immunohistochemistry for Conserved and cell type-specific transcriptional responses to IFN-γ in the ventral midbrain.

  • Activation Induced Marker (AIM) Staining Protocol

    By on

    This protocol details about activation induced marker staining.

  • Microglia differentiation from human pluripotent stem cells

    By on

    Microglia are crucial for brain development and maintaining homeostasis. They are involved in neurodegenerative diseases and can be generated from human stem cells using established protocols.

  • Generation of induced pluripotent stem cells and gene correction

    By on

    iPSC generation and gene correction (CRISPR-CAS9) protocol.

  • Collection of protocols for paper: “Glucocerebrosidase, a Parkinson´s disease-associated protein, is imported into mitochondria and regulates complex I assembly and function”

    By on

    This is a collection of protocols used in a recent preprint by the Deleidi Lab, Team Schapira. You can access pre-print at https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-1521848/v1

  • Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)

    By on

    Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in Conserved and cell type-specific transcriptional responses to IFN-γ in the ventral midbrain

  • R code for paper Phenotype of GBA1 variants in individuals with and without Parkinson disease: the RAPSODI study

    By on

    This is the R code used to produce the results described in the paper "Phenotype of GBA1 variants in individuals with and without Parkinson’s disease: The RAPSODI study"

  • Complex I activity assay

    By on

    This protocol is part of a Collection of protocols (dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.8epv593dng1b/v1) for the paper "Glucocerebrosidase, a Parkinson´s disease-associated protein, is imported into mitochondria and regulates complex I assembly and function" (https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-1521848/v1)

  • Targeting the GBA1 pathway to slow Parkinson disease: Insights into clinical aspects, pathogenic mechanisms and new therapeutic avenues

    By on

    The GBA1 gene encodes the lysosomal enzyme glucocerebrosidase (GCase), which is involved in sphingolipid metabolism. Biallelic variants in GBA1 cause Gaucher disease (GD), a lysosomal storage disorder characterised by loss of GCase activity and aberrant intracellular accumulation of GCase substrates. Carriers of GBA1 variants have an increased risk of developing Parkinson disease (PD), with odds ratio ranging from 2.2 to 30 according to variant severity. GBA1 variants which do not cause GD in homozygosis can also increase PD risk. Patients with PD carrying GBA1 variants show a more rapidly progressive phenotype compared to non-carriers, emphasising the need for disease modifying treatments targeting the GBA1 pathway. Several mechanisms secondary to GCase dysfunction are potentially responsible for the pathological changes leading to PD. Misfolded GCase proteins induce endoplasmic reticulum stress and subsequent unfolded protein response and impair the autophagy-lysosomal pathway. This results in α-synuclein accumulation and spread, and promotes neurodegenerative changes. Preclinical evidence also shows that products of GCase activity can promote accumulation of α-synuclein, however there is no convincing evidence of substrate accumulation in GBA1-PD brains. Altered lipid homeostasis secondary to loss of GCase activity could also contribute to PD pathology. Treatments that target the GBA1 pathway could reverse these pathological processes and halt/slow the progression of PD. These range from augmentation of GCase activity via GBA1 gene therapy, restoration of normal intracellular GCase trafficking via molecular chaperones, and substrate reduction therapy. This review discusses the pathways associated with GBA1-PD and related novel GBA1-targeted interventions for PD treatment.

  • Plasmid-reprogramming of human fibroblasts

    By on

    This protocol is part of a collection of protocols for the paper, "Glucocerebrosidase, a Parkinson's disease-associated protein, is imported into mitochondria and regulates complex I assembly and function"

  • Fecal metagenomic sequencing data for PD patients and controls from Rush University Medical Center

    By on

    Fecal metagenomic sequencing data associated with Boktor et al. (2023). This dataset includes samples from the Rush University Medical Center cohort.

  • L1 retrotransposons drive human neuronal transcriptome complexity and functional diversification

    By on

    The genetic mechanisms underlying the expansion in size and complexity of the human brain remains poorly understood. L1 retrotransposons are a source of divergent genetic information in hominoid genomes, but their importance in physiological functions and their contribution to human brain evolution is largely unknown. Using multi-omic profiling we here demonstrate that L1-promoters are dynamically active in the developing and adult human brain. L1s generate hundreds of developmentally regulated and cell-type specific transcripts, many which are co-opted as chimeric transcripts or regulatory RNAs. One L1-derived lncRNA, LINC01876, is a human-specific transcript expressed exclusively during brain development. CRISPRi-silencing of LINC01876 results in reduced size of cerebral organoids and premature differentiation of neural progenitors, implicating L1s in human-specific developmental processes. In summary, our results demonstrate that L1-derived transcripts provide a previously undescribed layer of primate- and human-specific transcriptome complexity that contributes to the functional diversification of the human brain.

  • LRRK2 kinase activity regulates GCase level and enzymatic activity differently depending on cell type in Parkinson’s disease

    By on

    Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) is a kinase involved in different cellular functions, including autophagy, endolysosomal pathways, and immune function. Mutations in LRRK2 cause autosomal-dominant forms of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Heterozygous mutations in GBA1, the gene encoding the lysosomal enzyme glucocerebrosidase (GCase), are the most common genetic risk factors for PD. Moreover, GCase function is altered in idiopathic PD and in other genetic forms of the disease. Recent work suggests that LRRK2 kinase activity can regulate GCase function. However, both a positive and a negative correlation have been described. To gain insights into the impact of LRRK2 on GCase, we performed a comprehensive analysis of GCase levels and activity in complementary LRRK2 models, including (i) LRRK2 G2019S knock in (GSKI) mice, (ii) peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMCs), plasma, and fibroblasts from PD patients carrying LRRK2 G2019S mutation, (iii) patient iPSCs-derived neurons; (iv) endogenous and overexpressed cell models. In some of these models we found a positive correlation between the activities of LRRK2 and GCase, which was further confirmed in cell lines with genetic and pharmacological manipulation of LRRK2 kinase activity. GCase protein level is reduced in GSKI brain tissues and in G2019S iPSCs-derived neurons, but increased in fibroblasts and PBMCs from patients, suggesting cell-type-specific effects. Overall, our study indicates that LRRK2 kinase activity affects both the levels and the catalytic activity of GCase in a cell-type-specific manner, with important implications in the context of therapeutic application of LRRK2 inhibitors in GBA1-linked and idiopathic PD.

Load More
Aligning Science Across Parkinson's
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.