Matveyenka Mikhail, Ali Abid, Mitchell Charles L, Sholukh Mikhail, Kurouski Dmitry
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States.
Department of Biology, Belarussian State University, Minsk, 222000, Belarus.
Biochim Biophys Acta Proteins Proteom. 2025 Feb 1;1873(2):141061. doi: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2024.141061. Epub 2024 Dec 16.
Progressive aggregation of α-synuclein (α-Syn), a small cytosolic protein involved in cell vesicle trafficking, in the midbrain, hypothalamus, and thalamus is linked to Parkinson's disease (PD). Amyloid oligomers and fibrils formed as a result of such aggregation are highly toxic to neurons. However, it remains unclear whether amyloid-induced toxicity of neurons is the primary mechanism of the progressive neurodegeneration observed upon PD. In the current study, we investigated cytotoxicity exerted by α-Syn fibrils formed in the lipid-free environment, as well as in the presence of two phospholipids, on macrophages, dendritic cells, and microglia. We found that α-Syn fibrils are far more toxic to dendritic cells and microglia compared to neurons. We also observe low toxicity levels of such amyloids to macrophages. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) results suggest that toxicity of amyloids aggregates is linked to the levels of autophagy in cells. These results suggest that a strong impairment of the immune system in the brain may be the first stop of neurodegenerative processes that are taking place upon the onset of PD.
α-突触核蛋白(α-Syn)是一种参与细胞囊泡运输的小的胞质蛋白,其在中脑、下丘脑和丘脑的渐进性聚集与帕金森病(PD)有关。这种聚集形成的淀粉样寡聚体和原纤维对神经元具有高度毒性。然而,尚不清楚淀粉样蛋白诱导的神经元毒性是否是PD时观察到的进行性神经退行性变的主要机制。在本研究中,我们研究了在无脂质环境以及存在两种磷脂的情况下形成的α-Syn原纤维对巨噬细胞、树突状细胞和小胶质细胞的细胞毒性。我们发现,与神经元相比,α-Syn原纤维对树突状细胞和小胶质细胞的毒性要大得多。我们还观察到这种淀粉样蛋白对巨噬细胞的毒性水平较低。实时聚合酶链反应(RT-PCR)结果表明,淀粉样蛋白聚集体的毒性与细胞自噬水平有关。这些结果表明,大脑免疫系统的严重损害可能是PD发病时正在发生的神经退行性过程的首要环节。