title: The phosphorylation state of Ser-129 in human alpha-synuclein determines neurodegeneration in a rat model of Parkinson disease.
abstract: Studies have shown that alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn) deposited in Lewy bodies in brain tissue from patients with Parkinson disease (PD) is extensively phosphorylated at Ser-129. We used recombinant Adeno-associated virus (rAAV) to overexpress human wild-type (wt) alpha-syn and two human alpha-syn mutants with site-directed replacement of Ser-129 to alanine (S129A) or to aspartate (S129D) in the nigrostriatal tract of the rat to investigate the effect of Ser-129 phosphorylation state on dopaminergic neuron pathology. Rats were injected with rAAV2/5 vectors in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) on one side of the brain; the other side remained as a nontransduced control. The level of human wt or mutant alpha-syn expressed on the injected side was about four times the endogenous rat alpha-syn. There was a significant reduction of dopaminergic neurons in the SNc and dopamine (DA) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) levels in the striatum of all S129A-treated rats as early as 4 wk postinjection. Nigral DA pathology occurred more slowly in the wt-injected animals, but by 26 wk the wt alpha-syn group lost nigral TH neurons equivalent to the mutated S129A group at 8 wk. In stark contrast, we did not observe any pathological changes in S129D-treated animals. Therefore, the nonphosphorylated form of S129 exacerbates alpha-syn-induced nigral pathology, whereas Ser-129 phosphorylation eliminates alpha-syn-induced nigrostriatal degeneration. This suggests possible new therapeutic targets for Parkinson Disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
authors.forename: Oleg S
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Gorbatyuk
authors.forename: Shoudong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Layla F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: Weijun
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Galina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kondrikova
authors.forename: Fredric P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Manfredsson
authors.forename: Ronald J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Mandel
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Muzyczka
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D000229:Dependovirus / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D016631:Lewy Bodies / Q000378:metabolism; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D051381:Rats; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D012694:Serine / Q000737:chemistry*; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism; D051844:alpha-Synuclein / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D051844:alpha-Synuclein; D012694:Serine; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D004298:Dopamine