Alpha-synuclein is involved in manganese-induced spatial memory and synaptic plasticity impairments via TrkB/Akt/Fyn-mediated phosphorylation of NMDA receptors

Cell Death Dis. 2020 Oct 8;11(10):834. doi: 10.1038/s41419-020-03051-2.

Abstract

Manganese (Mn) overexposure produces long-term cognitive deficits and reduces brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus. However, it remains elusive whether Mn-dependent enhanced alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) expression, suggesting a multifaceted mode of neuronal toxicities, accounts for interference with BDNF/TrkB signaling. In this study, we used C57BL/6J WT and α-Syn knockout (KO) mice to establish a model of manganism and found that Mn-induced impairments in spatial memory and synaptic plasticity were related to the α-Syn protein. In addition, consistent with the long-term potentiation (LTP) impairments that were observed, α-Syn KO relieved Mn-induced degradation of PSD95, phosphorylated CaMKIIα, and downregulated SynGAP protein levels. We transfected HT22 cells with lentivirus (LV)-α-Syn shRNA, followed by BDNF and Mn stimulation. In vitro experiments indicated that α-Syn selectively interacted with TrkB receptors and inhibited BDNF/TrkB signaling, leading to phosphorylation and downregulation of GluN2B. The binding of α-Syn to TrkB and Fyn-mediated phosphorylation of GluN2B were negatively regulated by BDNF. Together, these findings indicate that Mn-dependent enhanced α-Syn expression contributes to further exacerbate BDNF protein-level reduction and to inhibit TrkB/Akt/Fyn signaling, thereby disturbing Fyn-mediated phosphorylation of the NMDA receptor GluN2B subunit at tyrosine. In KO α-Syn mice treated with Mn, spatial memory and LTP impairments were less pronounced than in WT mice. However, the same robust neuronal death was observed as a result of Mn-induced neurotoxicity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Hippocampus / metabolism
  • Long-Term Potentiation / physiology
  • Male
  • Manganese / metabolism
  • Manganese / pharmacology
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Neuronal Plasticity / physiology*
  • Neurons / metabolism
  • Phosphorylation
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism
  • Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction / physiology
  • Spatial Memory / physiology*
  • alpha-Synuclein / genetics
  • alpha-Synuclein / metabolism*

Substances

  • Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate
  • alpha-Synuclein
  • Manganese
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt