Abstract
In Parkinson's disease (PD), α-synuclein (αS) pathologically impacts the brain, a highly lipid-rich organ. We investigated how alterations in αS or lipid/fatty acid homeostasis affect each other. Lipidomic profiling of human αS-expressing yeast revealed increases in oleic acid (OA, 18:1), diglycerides, and triglycerides. These findings were recapitulated in rodent and human neuronal models of αS dyshomeostasis (overexpression; patient-derived triplication or E46K mutation; E46K mice). Preventing lipid droplet formation or augmenting OA increased αS yeast toxicity; suppressing the OA-generating enzyme stearoyl-CoA-desaturase (SCD) was protective. Genetic or pharmacological SCD inhibition ameliorated toxicity in αS-overexpressing rat neurons. In a C. elegans model, SCD knockout prevented αS-induced dopaminergic degeneration. Conversely, we observed detrimental effects of OA on αS homeostasis: in human neural cells, excess OA caused αS inclusion formation, which was reversed by SCD inhibition. Thus, monounsaturated fatty acid metabolism is pivotal for αS-induced neurotoxicity, and inhibiting SCD represents a novel PD therapeutic approach.
Keywords:
Parkinson’s disease; alpha-synuclein; diglyceride; inclusions; lipid droplets; oleic acid; stearoyl-CoA-desaturase; synucleinopathy; tetramer; triglyceride; unsaturated fatty acid.
Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Publication types
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Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Antiparkinson Agents / pharmacology*
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Caenorhabditis elegans / drug effects
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Caenorhabditis elegans / enzymology
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Caenorhabditis elegans / genetics
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Cell Line
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Cerebral Cortex / drug effects
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Cerebral Cortex / enzymology
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Cerebral Cortex / pathology
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Diglycerides / metabolism
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Disease Models, Animal
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Dopaminergic Neurons / drug effects
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Dopaminergic Neurons / enzymology
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Dopaminergic Neurons / pathology
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Drug Discovery / methods*
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Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology*
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Humans
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Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / drug effects
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Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / enzymology
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Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / pathology
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Lipid Droplets / drug effects
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Lipid Droplets / enzymology
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Lipid Metabolism / drug effects*
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Metabolomics / methods*
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Mice, Inbred C57BL
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Mice, Transgenic
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Molecular Targeted Therapy
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Nerve Degeneration
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Neural Stem Cells / drug effects
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Neural Stem Cells / enzymology
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Neural Stem Cells / pathology
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Neurons / drug effects*
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Neurons / enzymology
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Neurons / pathology
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Oleic Acid / metabolism
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Parkinson Disease / drug therapy*
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Parkinson Disease / enzymology
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Parkinson Disease / genetics
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Parkinson Disease / pathology
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Rats, Sprague-Dawley
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Saccharomyces cerevisiae / drug effects
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Saccharomyces cerevisiae / enzymology
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Saccharomyces cerevisiae / genetics
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Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase / antagonists & inhibitors*
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Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase / metabolism
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Triglycerides / metabolism
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alpha-Synuclein / genetics
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alpha-Synuclein / toxicity*
Substances
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Antiparkinson Agents
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Diglycerides
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Enzyme Inhibitors
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Triglycerides
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alpha-Synuclein
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Oleic Acid
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Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase