Mazzetti, S. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2025

PARylation in Parkinson's disease: a bridge between Lewy body formation and neuronal cell death

Poly-ADP-ribosylation (PARylation), catalyzed by the enzyme PARP1, involves the addition of poly-ADP-ribose polymers (PAR) and has been associated with -synuclein aggregation in Parkinsons disease (PD) models. This study aimed to unravel the role of PARylation in -synuclein aggregation and neuronal cell death in the complex environment of post-mortem human PD brains. Using high-resolution imaging and 3D reconstruction analysis, we observed that PAR accumulate in the cytoplasm in regions affected by PD pathology, preceding the formation of -synuclein oligomers. Additionally, we found that PAR and stress granules contribute to the formation of Lewy bodies. Increased colocalization of PAR with mitochondria in the substantia nigra of PD patients, along with the presence of PAR-positive condensed DNA, further suggests a role in neuronal cell death. Collectively, our findings reveal a critical involvement of PARylation in the pathological mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration in PD and position PARylation as a potential therapeutic target. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=160 SRC="FIGDIR/small/642849v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (73K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@64858aorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@17b4706org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@73f865org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1b8d619_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2022

Linking acetylated alpha-Tubulin redistribution to alpha-Synuclein pathology in brain of Parkinson's disease patients

Highly specialized microtubules in neurons are crucial to the health and disease of the nervous system, and their properties are strictly regulated by different post-translational modifications, including -Tubulin acetylation. An imbalance in the levels of acetylated -Tubulin has been reported in experimental models of Parkinsons disease (PD) whereas pharmacological or genetic modulation that leads to increased acetylated -Tubulin successfully rescues axonal transport defects and inhibits -Synuclein aggregation. However, the role of acetylation of -Tubulin in the human nervous system is largely unknown as most studies are based on in vitro evidence. To capture the complexity of the pathological processes in vivo, we analysed post-mortem human brain of PD patients and control subjects. In the brain of PD patients at Braak stage 6, we found a redistribution of acetylated -Tubulin, which accumulates in the neuronal cell bodies in subcortical structures but not in the cerebral cortex, and decreases in the axonal compartment, both in the central and peripheral nervous system. High-resolution and 3D reconstruction analysis linked acetylated -Tubulin redistribution to -Synuclein oligomerization, leading us to propose a model for Lewy body (LB) morphogenesis. Finally, for the first time in post-mortem human brain, we observed threadlike structures, resembling tunnelling nanotubes that contain -Synuclein oligomers and are associated with acetylated -Tubulin enriched neurons. In conclusion, we disclose a novel aspect of LB morphogenesis, indicating the role of acetylated -Tubulin in PD, that may provide clues to design novel therapeutic interventions.

neuroscience↗