Browsing by Author "Ignatius, Adele"

Misfolding and aggregation of alpha-synuclein (α-syn) protein, leading to dysfunctional proteins and toxic protein aggregates, are seen as major factors in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Direct protein-protein interactions (PPI) between α-syn and a serine endopeptidase, prolyl oligopeptidase (PREP), have been shown to increase α-syn aggregation. Small molecular PREP inhibitors, in turn, have been shown to reduce the ɑ-syn aggregation process both in vitro and in vivo. Inhibition of PREP has been shown to have dual effects on ɑ-syn aggregation: first of all, blocking PREP mediated seeding and secondly, inducing the clearance of ɑ-syn aggregates via increased autophagy. Thus, PREP inhibitors should be further studied as a potential treatment for PD and other synucleinopathies. In this study, we evaluated the effect of two different PREP inhibitors, 4-phenylbutanoyl-L-prolyl-2(S)-cyanopyrrolidine (KYP-2047) and HUP-115 in a virus vector-based unilateral A53T-ɑ-syn overexpression mouse model. AAV-A53T-ɑ-syn injections used in this study caused a significant increase in oligomer-specific alpha-synuclein (ɑ-synO5) immunoreactivity and a mild dopaminergic neuron loss, together with mild motor deficits. Neither 2-week PREP inhibition with KYP-2047 or 4-week PREP inhibition with HUP-115 reduced ɑ-synO5 immunoreactivity or protected dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN). Concordant to this, the treatments did not restore the slight behavioral deficit AAV-A53T-ɑ-syn injections caused in the cylinder test. In previous studies, PREP inhibition with KYP-2047 decreased ɑ-synO5 immunoreactivity, attenuated dopaminergic neuron loss and restored behavioral deficits in other α-syn overexpression mouse models. It is suggested that PREP inhibitors mainly have an effect on soluble ɑ-syn oligomers, rather than insoluble fibrils. In case A53T-ɑ-syn forms insoluble fibrils too rapidly in mice, overexpression of A53T-ɑ-syn might not be a suitable option when studying the effects of PREP inhibitors. Our results suggest that further characterization of this model in mice is much needed before drawing any conclusions about the effect of these PREP inhibitors.