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Progressive accumulation of α-synuclein (α-syn)-containing protein aggregates throughout the nervous system is a pathological hallmark of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The mechanisms whereby α-syn exerts neurodegeneration remain to be fully understood. Here we show that overexpression of α-syn in transgenic mice leads to increased phosphorylation of glutamate NMDA receptor (NMDAR) subunits NR1 and NR2B in substantia nigra and striatum as well as reduced glucocerebrosidase (GCase) levels. Similarly, molecular studies performed in mouse N2A cells stably overexpressing human α-syn ( α-syn N2A) showed that phosphorylation states of the same NMDAR subunits were increased, whereas GCase levels and lysosomal GCase activity were reduced. α-syn N2A cells showed an increased sensitivity to neurotoxicity towards 6-hydroxydopamine and NMDA. However, wildtype N2A, but not α-syn N2A cells, showed a further reduction in viability when co-incubated with 6-hydroxydopamine and the lysosomal inhibitors NH 4 Cl and leupeptin, suggesting that α-syn per se perturbs lysosomal functions. NMDA treatment reduced lysosomal GCase activity to the same extent in α-syn N2A cells as in wildtype N2A cells, indicating that the α-syn-dependent difference in NMDA neurotoxicity is unrelated to an altered GCase activity. Nevertheless, these data provide molecular evidence that overexpression of α-syn simultaneously induces two potential neurotoxic hits by increasing glutamate NMDA receptor phosphorylation, consistent with increased NMDA receptors functionality, and reducing GCase activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) is a transmembrane protein which clusters proteins and lipids at the cell membrane into a subclass of lipid rafts named caveolae. To increase our understanding about putative functions of Cav-1 in neuronal cells, we used mouse brain extracts and a novel technology coupling surface plasmon resonance to mass spectrometry to find binding partners to Cav-1. An interaction between Cav-1 and alpha-synclein was found and confirmed in reciprocal pulldown experiments. Genetic overexpression of alpha-synclein in mouse neuroblastoma Neuro2A cells (N2A) expectedly decreased cell survival, but also significantly increased the levels of Cav-1. Furthermore, si-RNA-mediated knockdown of Cav-1 counteracted cell death induced by overexpression of alpha-synuclein. We also used an inhibitor of proteasome (MG132) to induce cell death in a Parkinson’s disease context. Cav-1 knockdown had no effect on cell death induced by MG132. Conversely, treating the cells with mevastatin, an inhibitor of cholesterol synthesis, inhibits cell death induced by MG132, but not by alpha synuclein overexpression. It can be concluded that Cav-1 may play a functional role in neuronal cells by virtue of its physical interaction with alpha-synuclein and regulate alpha synuclein-mediated actions on cell death, processes known to be involved in synucleinopathies including Parkinson’s disease. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]