Loss of prostatic acid phosphatase and α-synuclein cause motor circuit degeneration without altering cerebellar patterning

PLoS One. 2019 Sep 11;14(9):e0222234. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0222234. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

Prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP), which is secreted by prostate, increases in some diseases such as prostate cancer. PAP is also present in the central nervous system. In this study we reveal that α-synuclein (Snca) gene is co-deleted/mutated in PAP null mouse. It is indicated that mice deficient in transmembrane PAP display neurological alterations. By using immunohistochemistry, cerebellar cortical neurons and zone and stripes pattern were studied in Pap-/- ;Snca-/- mouse cerebellum. We show that the Pap-/- ;Snca-/- cerebellar cortex development appears to be normal. Compartmentation genes expression such as zebrin II, HSP25, and P75NTR show the zone and stripe phenotype characteristic of the normal cerebellum. These data indicate that although aggregation of PAP and SNCA causes severe neurodegenerative diseases, PAP -/- with absence of the Snca does not appear to interrupt the cerebellar architecture development and zone and stripe pattern formation. These findings question the physiological and pathological role of SNCA and PAP during cerebellar development or suggest existence of the possible compensatory mechanisms in the absence of these genes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acid Phosphatase / genetics
  • Acid Phosphatase / metabolism*
  • Acid Phosphatase / physiology
  • Animals
  • Cerebellar Cortex / metabolism*
  • Cerebellum / metabolism
  • Gene Expression / genetics
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Motor Activity / genetics
  • Motor Activity / physiology
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / metabolism
  • Transcriptome / genetics
  • alpha-Synuclein / genetics
  • alpha-Synuclein / metabolism*
  • alpha-Synuclein / physiology

Substances

  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • alpha-Synuclein
  • zebrin II
  • Acid Phosphatase
  • prostatic acid phosphatase

Grants and funding

These studies were supported by grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC Discovery Grant # RGPIN-2018-06040 to HM) and Children Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (Grant # 320035 to HM). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.