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Deciphering Motor Dysfunction and Microglial Activation in mThy1-α-Synuclein Mice: A Comprehensive Study of Behavioral, Gene Experssion, and Methylation Changes [RNA-Seq]

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Synucleinopathy disorders are characterized by aggregates of α-synuclein (α-syn), which engage microglia to elicit a neuroinflammatory response. However, the influence α-syn has on DNA methylation and gene expression patterns for other genes has not been thoroughly explored. Our objective is to determine gene expression and methylation changes in microglia induced by aggregate α-syn. METHODS: Transgenic mThy1-Asyn mice overexpressing human α-syn are a model of synucleinopathy. Microglia from 7 and 10-month-old mice were used to isolate nucleic acids for methylated DNA and RNA-sequencing. α-Syn-induced changes in gene expression and genomic methylation were determined and examined for pathway and functional enrichment. RESULTS: Microglial DNA isolated from our 7-month cohort had 6,712 differentially methylated regions (DMR), while RNA levels demonstrated a change in 1,141 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between mThy1-Asyn mice and wild-type littermate controls. The 7-month DEGs and DMRs were highly associated with neuroinflammation likely via TLR pathways. We observed 8,531 DMRs and 1,686 DEGs in 10-month mThy1-Asyn mice. These genes were often predicted by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis to demonstrate inhibition of previously activated inflammatory pathways at 7 months. CONCLUSION: We observed significant α-syn-induced methylation and gene expression changes in microglia. Our data suggest that α-syn overexpression initiates microglial activation leading to neuroinflammation and cellular metabolic stresses, which is associated with disease progression.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE275510 | GEO | 2025/03/05

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Background: Cell-to-cell propagation of α-synuclein (α-syn) aggregates is thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and underlie the spread of α-syn neuropathology. Increased pro-inflammatory cytokine levels and activated microglia are present in PD and activated microglia can promote α-syn aggregation. However, it is unclear how microglia influence α-syn cell-to-cell transfer. Methods: We developed a clinically relevant mouse model to monitor α-syn prion-like propagation between cells; we transplanted wild-type mouse embryonic midbrain neurons into a mouse striatum overexpressing human α-syn (huα-syn) following adeno-associated viral injection into the substantia nigra. In this system, we depleted or activated microglial cells and determined the effects on the transfer of huα-syn from host nigrostriatal neurons into the implanted dopaminergic neurons, using the presence of huα-syn within the grafted cells as a readout. Results: First, we compared α-syn cell-to-cell transfer between host mice with a normal number of microglia to mice in which we had pharmacologically ablated 80% of the microglia from the grafted striatum. With fewer host microglia, we observed increased accumulation of huα-syn in grafted dopaminergic neurons. Second, we assessed the transfer of α-syn into grafted neurons in the context of microglia activated by one of two stimuli, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or interleukin-4 (IL-4). LPS exposure led to a strong activation of microglial cells (as determined by microglia morphology and cytokine production) and significantly higher amounts of huα-syn in grafted neurons. In contrast, injection of IL-4 did not change the proportion of grafted dopamine neurons that contained huα-syn relative to controls. RNA sequencing analysis revealed differential gene expression between LPS and IL-4 injected mice; many genes were upregulated in LPS including those involved with the inflammatory response. Conclusions: The absence or the hyperstimulation of microglia affected α-syn transfer in the brain. Our results suggest that under resting, non-inflammatory conditions, microglia modulate the transfer of α-syn. Pharmacological regulation of neuroinflammation could represent a future avenue for limiting the spread of PD neuropathology.

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Deciphering Motor Dysfunction and Microglial Activation in mThy1-α-Synuclein Mice: A Comprehensive Study of Behavioral, Gene Experssion, and Methylation Changes [RNA-Seq]

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