title: Human wild-type alpha-synuclein impairs neurogenesis.
abstract: Neurodegenerative diseases classified as synucleinopathies are characterized by alpha-synuclein inclusions. In these disorders, alpha-synuclein accumulates within glial or neuronal cells in the brain including regions of adult neurogenesis. We hypothesized a pathophysiological role for alpha-synuclein in newly generated cells of the adult brain and in this study examined regions of neurogenesis in adult mice overexpressing human wild-type alpha-synuclein under the control of the platelet-derived growth factor promoter. The number of proliferating cells and the fate of newly generated cells were analyzed in the olfactory bulb system and in the hippocampal dentate gyrus. There were no effects on proliferation detectable; however, significantly less neurogenesis and fewer neurons were observed in the olfactory bulb as well as in the hippocampus of adult human alpha-synuclein mice compared to control littermates. This effect was almost exclusively due to diminished survival of neuronal precursors in the target regions of neurogenesis. Our data imply that the finely tuned equilibrium of neuronal cell birth and death in neurogenic regions may be altered in human alpha-synuclein-overexpressing mice. We hypothesize that reduced adult neurogenesis in the olfactory bulb may contribute to olfactory deficits in neurodegenerative disorders associated with alpha-synuclein inclusions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Beate
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Winner
authors.forename: D Chichung
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Lie
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rockenstein
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aigner
authors.forename: Ludwig
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aigner
authors.forename: Eliezer
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Masliah
authors.forename: H Georg
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Kuhn
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Winkler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D018891:Dentate Gyrus / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D009830:Olfactory Bulb / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism*; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D051843:Synucleins; D051844:alpha-Synuclein
chemical_list: D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor; C497604:SNCA protein, human; C497605:Snca protein, mouse; D051843:Synucleins; D051844:alpha-Synuclein