Alpha-synuclein inclusions reduced by PIKfyve inhibition in Parkinson disease cell models

Parkinson's disease (PD) pathophysiology is associated with a progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and accumulation of insoluble inclusions of misfolded alpha-synuclein. In this study, we used a neuroblastoma-derived cell model overexpressing a pro-aggregation form of alpha-synuclein and human-derived induced-pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to investigate the efficacy of PIKfyve-mediated lysosomal biogenesis to reduce alpha-synuclein inclusions.

We used high-content imaging and enzymatic assays to follow the progression of lysosomal biogenesis, lysosomal catabolism and alpha-synuclein accumulation. The cell models used recapitulated important elements of the biochemical phenotype observed in PD dopaminergic neurons, including alpha-synuclein inclusions and impaired glucocerebrosidase.

PIKfyve inhibition by YM201636 resulted in a lysosomal-dependant reduction of alpha-synuclein inclusions as early as 24 h post-treatment. YM201636 induced an increase in nuclear translocation of TFEB, and an increase in lysosomal markers LAMP1 and HEXA. PIKfyve-inhibition was also tested in neuronal-differentiated neuroblastoma-derived cells and iPSCs-derived dopaminergic neurons. In these cells, YM201636 substantially reduced alpha-synuclein inclusions and increased TFEB nuclear localisation.

These findings suggest that PIKfyve signalling pathways could represent a therapeutic target to reduce alpha-synuclein in PD.