TY - JOUR
T1 - Enhanced phosphatase activity attenuates α-synucleinopathy in a mouse model
AU - Lee, Kang Woo
AU - Chen, Walter
AU - Junn, Eunsung
AU - Im, Joo Young
AU - Grosso, Hilary
AU - Sonsalla, Patricia K.
AU - Feng, Xuyan
AU - Ray, Neelanjana
AU - Fernandez, Jose R.
AU - Chao, Yang
AU - Masliah, Eliezer
AU - Voronkov, Michael
AU - Braithwaite, Steven P.
AU - Stock, Jeffry B.
AU - Mouradian, M. Maral
PY - 2011/5/11
Y1 - 2011/5/11
N2 - α-Synuclein (α-Syn) is a key protein that accumulates as hyperphosphorylated aggregates in pathologic hallmark features of Parkinson's disease (PD) and other neurodegenerative disorders. Phosphorylation of this protein at serine 129 is believed to promote its aggregation and neurotoxicity, suggesting that this post-translational modification could be a therapeutic target. Here, we demonstrate that phosphoprotein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) dephosphorylates α-Syn at serine 129 and that this activity is greatly enhanced by carboxyl methylation of the catalytic C subunit of PP2A. α-Syn-transgenic mice raised on a diet supplemented with eicosanoyl-5-hydroxytryptamide, an agent that enhances PP2A methylation, dramatically reduced both α-Syn phosphorylation at Serine 129 and α-Syn aggregation in the brain. These biochemical changes were associated with enhanced neuronal activity, increased dendritic arborizations, and reduced astroglial and microglial activation, as well as improved motor performance. These findings support the notion that serine 129 phosphorylation of α-Syn is of pathogenetic significance and that promoting PP2A activity is a viable disease-modifying therapeutic strategy for α-synucleinopathies such as PD.
AB - α-Synuclein (α-Syn) is a key protein that accumulates as hyperphosphorylated aggregates in pathologic hallmark features of Parkinson's disease (PD) and other neurodegenerative disorders. Phosphorylation of this protein at serine 129 is believed to promote its aggregation and neurotoxicity, suggesting that this post-translational modification could be a therapeutic target. Here, we demonstrate that phosphoprotein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) dephosphorylates α-Syn at serine 129 and that this activity is greatly enhanced by carboxyl methylation of the catalytic C subunit of PP2A. α-Syn-transgenic mice raised on a diet supplemented with eicosanoyl-5-hydroxytryptamide, an agent that enhances PP2A methylation, dramatically reduced both α-Syn phosphorylation at Serine 129 and α-Syn aggregation in the brain. These biochemical changes were associated with enhanced neuronal activity, increased dendritic arborizations, and reduced astroglial and microglial activation, as well as improved motor performance. These findings support the notion that serine 129 phosphorylation of α-Syn is of pathogenetic significance and that promoting PP2A activity is a viable disease-modifying therapeutic strategy for α-synucleinopathies such as PD.
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U2 - 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.6513-10.2011
DO - 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.6513-10.2011
M3 - Article
C2 - 21562258
AN - SCOPUS:79956317900
SN - 0270-6474
VL - 31
SP - 6963
EP - 6971
JO - Journal of Neuroscience
JF - Journal of Neuroscience
IS - 19
ER -