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Updated: Feb 6, 2026

Technique for Intranasal Administration of α-Synuclein Aggregates
Published on: November 8, 2024
α-Synuclein interacts directly but reversibly with psychosine: implications for α-synucleinopathies
Hazem Abdelkarim1, Michael S Marshall2, Giuseppe Scesa2
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA.
Lysosomal dysfunction in Krabbe disease causes psychosine accumulation, promoting alpha-synuclein aggregation. Correcting this deficiency or using small molecules like dopamine can prevent aggregation, offering therapeutic strategies for synucleinopathies.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology
- Lysosomal Storage Diseases
Background:
- Alpha-synuclein aggregation is a hallmark of synucleinopathies, including Parkinson's disease.
- This aggregation is observed in various glycosphingolipidoses, neurodegenerative disorders linked to lysosomal dysfunction.
- The precise mechanism linking glycosphingolipid (GSL) accumulation to alpha-synuclein aggregation remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the pathogenic contribution and molecular mechanism of alpha-synuclein aggregation in Krabbe disease (KD).
- To explore the reversibility of alpha-synuclein aggregation in KD.
- To assess the therapeutic potential of lysosomal correction and small molecules in reducing neuronal alpha-synuclein burden.
Main Methods:
- Employed a multi-pronged approach combining genetic, biophysical, and biochemical techniques.
- Utilized a mouse model of Krabbe disease.
- Investigated the interaction between psychosine, alpha-synuclein, dopamine, and carbidopa.
Main Results:
- Genetic knockout of alpha-synuclein partially mitigated neurological signs in KD mice.
- Genetic correction of galactosyl-ceramidase (GALC) deficiency completely prevented alpha-synuclein aggregation.
- Psychosine promotes alpha-synuclein aggregation by forming hydrophilic clusters and binding to alpha-synuclein, inducing an aggregation-prone conformation. Dopamine and carbidopa reversed this effect.
Conclusions:
- Lysosomal GSL accumulation, specifically psychosine in KD, directly promotes alpha-synuclein aggregation.
- Therapeutic strategies targeting lysosomal correction or small molecules that stabilize alpha-synuclein may be effective for synucleinopathies.
- This study provides a mechanistic understanding of alpha-synuclein aggregation in the context of glycosphingolipidoses.
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