Central and Peripheral Inflammation: Connecting the Immune Responses of Parkinson’s Disease
By onAuthors highlight the important work being done that implicates central and peripheral inflammation in playing a role in PD.
Regulation of mitophagy by the NSL complex underlies genetic risk for Parkinson’s disease at 16q11.2 and MAPT H1 loci
By onImpaired mitophagy is linked to familial PD. New study identifies KAT8 and KANSL1 as regulators of PINK1-dependent mitophagy, suggesting their role in idiopathic Parkinson’s. KANSL1 may be crucial in the disease, offering potential drug targets.
Neuropathological Features of Gaucher Disease and Gaucher Disease with Parkinsonism
By onDeficient acid β-glucocerebrosidase activity due to biallelic mutations in GBA1 results in Gaucher disease (GD). Patients with this lysosomal storage disorder exhibit a wide range of associated manifestations, spanning from virtually asymptomatic adults to infants with severe neurodegeneration. While type 1 GD (GD1) is considered non-neuronopathic, a small subset of patients develop parkinsonian features. Variants in GBA1 are also an important risk factor for several common Lewy body disorders (LBDs). Neuropathological examinations of patients with GD, including those who developed LBDs, are rare. GD primarily affects macrophages, and perivascular infiltration of Gaucher macrophages is the most common neuropathologic finding. However, the frequency of these clusters and the affected anatomical region varies. GD affects astrocytes, and, in neuronopathic GD, neurons in cerebral cortical layers 3 and 5, layer 4b of the calcarine cortex, and hippocampal regions CA2–4. In addition, several reports describe selective degeneration of the cerebellar dentate nucleus in chronic neuronopathic GD. GD1 is characterized by astrogliosis without prominent neuronal loss. In GD-LBD, widespread Lewy body pathology is seen, often involving hippocampal regions CA2–4. Additional neuropathological examinations in GD are sorely needed to clarify disease-specific patterns and elucidate causative mechanisms relevant to GD, and potentially to more common neurodegenerative diseases.
Biochemical detection of aggregated Tau
By onThis protocol is associated with the following preprint, published on February 19th 2022: The AAA+ chaperone VCP disaggregates Tau fibrils and generates aggregate seeds Itika Saha, Patricia Yuste-Checa, Miguel Da Silva Padilha, Qiang Guo, Roman Körner, Hauke Holthusen, Victoria A. Trinkaus, Irina Dudanova, Rubén Fernández-Busnadiego, Wolfgang Baumeister, David W. Sanders, Saurabh Gautam, Marc I. Diamond, F. Ulrich Hartl, Mark S. Hipp bioRxiv 2022.02.18.481043; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.02.18.481043
Neuronal hyperactivity-induced oxidant stress promotes in vivo α-synuclein brain spreading
By onInterneuronal transfer and brain spreading of pathogenic proteins are features of neurodegenerative diseases. Pathophysiological conditions and mechanisms affecting this spreading remain poorly understood. This study investigated the relationship between neuronal activity and interneuronal transfer of α-synuclein, a Parkinson-associated protein, and elucidated mechanisms underlying this relationship. In a mouse model of α-synuclein brain spreading, hyperactivity augmented and hypoactivity attenuated protein transfer. Important features of neuronal hyperactivity reported here were an exacerbation of oxidative and nitrative reactions, pronounced accumulation of nitrated α-synuclein, and increased protein aggregation. Data also pointed to mitochondria as key targets and likely sources of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species within hyperactive neurons. Rescue experiments designed to counteract the increased burden of reactive oxygen species reversed hyperactivity-induced α-synuclein nitration, aggregation, and interneuronal transfer, providing first evidence of a causal link between these pathological effects of neuronal stimulation and indicating a mechanistic role of oxidant stress in hyperactivity-induced α-synuclein spreading.
Protocol Collection for “PARK15/FBXO7 is dispensable for PINK1/Parkin mitophagy in iNeurons and HeLa cell systems”
By onCollection of protocols associated with preprint (https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.02.514817v1.full) Protocols: Microscopy-based evaluation of Parkin translocation and mitophagy in FBXO7-/- cell lines Microscopy-based pUb-coverage measurements of mitochondria in iNeurons Microscopy-based measurements of p62 recruitment in HeLa Microscopy-based mtDNA turnover measurements in HeLa and iNeurons Microscopy-based mitochondrial morphology measurements in iNeurons
Preparation of LRRK1 RCKW cryo-EM grids
By onProtocol used to create LRRK1 RCKW grids for cryo-EM used in Snead, Matyszewski, Dickey et al.
Light microscopy immunoperoxidase staining
By onProtocol for Light microscopy immunoperoxidase staining.
LRRK2-G2019S Synergizes with Ageing and Low-Grade Inflammation to Promote Gut and Peripheral Immune Cell Activation that Precede Nigrostriatal Degeneration
By onBackground Mutations in the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene are the most frequent cause of familial Parkinson’s disease (PD). The incomplete penetrance of LRRK2 mutations suggest that additional hits are required for disease onset. We hypothesized that chronic low-grade inflammation interacts with LRRK2 G2019S, the most frequent PD-associated mutation, to activate peripheral and central immune reactions and drive age-dependent neurodegeneration. Methods and Results We exposed wild-type and LRRK2 G2019S mice to a low chronic dose of lipopolysaccharide, and we performed a longitudinal analysis of central and peripheral immune reactions and neurodegeneration. Low-dose inflammation triggered nigrostriatal degeneration, macrophage/monocyte brain infiltration, and astro-/microgliosis. LRRK2 G2019S mice showed an early dysregulation of peripheral cytokines, increased CD4+ T-cell infiltration and α-synuclein aggregation in the colon. Interestingly, peripheral immune activation and colonic α-synuclein aggregation precede astro-/microgliosis and neurodegeneration. Conclusions Our study suggests an early role of the peripheral immune system and the gut in LRRK2 PD and provides a novel model to study early therapeutic immune targets and biomarkers.
Protocols for “Synaptotagmin-1-dependent phasic axonal dopamine release is dispensable for basic motor behaviors in mice”
By onThis is a collection of protocols for the manuscript "Synaptotagmin-1-dependent phasic axonal dopamine release is dispensable for basic motor behaviors in mice"
Preparing MEF-cultured hPSCs for nucleofection
By onThis protocol describes the procedure or preparing MEF-cultured human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) for the delivery of plasmids, mRNA, or ribonucleoprotein (RNP) using nucleofection.
The remote assessment of parkinsonism supporting the ongoing development of interventions in Gaucher disease
By onMutations in GBA which are causative of Gaucher disease in their biallelic form, are the most common genetic risk factor for Parkinson's disease (PD). The diagnosis of PD relies upon clinically defined motor features which appear after irreversible neurodegeneration. Prodromal symptoms of PD may provide a means to predict latent pathology, years before the onset of motor features. Previous work has reported prodromal features of PD in GBA mutation carriers, however this has been insufficiently sensitive to identify those that will develop PD. The Remote Assessment of Parkinsonism Supporting Ongoing Development of Interventions in Gaucher Disease (RAPSODI GD) study assesses a large cohort of GBA mutation carriers, to aid development of procedures for earlier diagnosis of PD.
H9 ES AAVS1-NGN2 CCPG1-/-; PiggyBac-Keima-REEP5
By onES cells were modified using CRISPR/Cas9 to lack CCPG1 and express Keima-REEP5 ER-phagy flux reporter. NEUROG2 construct was introduced in AAVS1 locus. Cells are embryonic stem cells derived from a human female blastocyst stage.
Molecular cloning of SHIP164 plasmids for expression in mammalian cells
By onThis protocol is to help with the molecular cloning of SHIP164 and the sequences of other proteins.
Striatal dopamine measurement through HPLC
By onProtocol for striatal dopamine measurement in mouse brain