Synaptic and cognitive impairment associated with L444P heterozygous glucocerebrosidase mutation

Cognitive impairment is a common but poorly understood non-motor aspect of Parkinson's disease, negatively affecting patient's functional capacity and quality of life. The mechanisms underlying cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease are still elusive, limiting treatment and prevention strategies. This study investigates the molecular and cellular basis of cognitive impairment associated with heterozygous mutations in GBA1, the strongest risk gene for Parkinson's disease that encodes glucocerebrosidase (GCase), a lysosome enzyme that degrades the glycosphingolipid glucosylceramide into glucose and ceramide. Using a Gba1L444P/+ mouse model, we provide evidence that L444P heterozygous Gba1 mutation (L444P/+) causes hippocampus-dependent spatial and reference memory deficits independently of α-synuclein (αSyn) accumulation, GCase lipid substrate accumulation, dopaminergic dysfunction and motor deficits. The mutation disrupts hippocampal synaptic plasticity and basal synaptic transmission by reducing the density of hippocampal CA3-CA1 synapses, a mechanism that is dissociated from αSyn-mediated presynaptic neurotransmitter release. Using a well-characterized Thy1-αSyn pre-manifest Parkinson's disease mouse model overexpressing wild type human αSyn, we find that the L444P/+ mutation exacerbates hippocampal synaptic αSyn accumulation, synaptic and cognitive impairment in young Gba1L444P/+:Thy1-αSyn double mutant animals. With age, Thy1-αSyn mice manifest motor symptoms, and the double mutant mice exhibit more exacerbated synaptic and motor impairment than the Thy1-αSyn mice. Taken together, our results suggest that heterozygous L444P GBA1 mutation alone perturbs hippocampal synaptic structure and function, imposing a subclinical pathological burden for cognitive impairment. When co-existing αSyn overexpression is present, heterozygous L444P GBA1 mutation interacts with αSyn pathology to accelerate Parkinson's disease-related cognitive impairment and motor symptoms.