Dysregulation of mitochondria-lysosome contacts by GBA1 dysfunction in dopaminergic neuronal models of Parkinson's disease

Nat Commun. 2021 Mar 22;12(1):1807. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-22113-3.

Abstract

Mitochondria-lysosome contacts are recently identified sites for mediating crosstalk between both organelles, but their role in normal and diseased human neurons remains unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that mitochondria-lysosome contacts can dynamically form in the soma, axons, and dendrites of human neurons, allowing for their bidirectional crosstalk. Parkinson's disease patient derived neurons harboring mutant GBA1 exhibited prolonged mitochondria-lysosome contacts due to defective modulation of the untethering protein TBC1D15, which mediates Rab7 GTP hydrolysis for contact untethering. This dysregulation was due to decreased GBA1 (β-glucocerebrosidase (GCase)) lysosomal enzyme activity in patient derived neurons, and could be rescued by increasing enzyme activity with a GCase modulator. These defects resulted in disrupted mitochondrial distribution and function, and could be further rescued by TBC1D15 in Parkinson's patient derived GBA1-linked neurons. Together, our work demonstrates a potential role of mitochondria-lysosome contacts as an upstream regulator of mitochondrial function and dynamics in midbrain dopaminergic neurons in GBA1-linked Parkinson's disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cells, Cultured
  • Dopaminergic Neurons / cytology
  • Dopaminergic Neurons / metabolism*
  • Dopaminergic Neurons / ultrastructure
  • GTPase-Activating Proteins / genetics
  • GTPase-Activating Proteins / metabolism
  • Glucosylceramidase / genetics*
  • Glucosylceramidase / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Hydrolysis
  • Lysosomes / genetics*
  • Lysosomes / metabolism
  • Lysosomes / ultrastructure
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
  • Mitochondria / genetics*
  • Mitochondria / metabolism
  • Mitochondria / ultrastructure
  • Mutation*
  • Parkinson Disease / genetics*
  • Parkinson Disease / metabolism
  • Time-Lapse Imaging / methods
  • rab GTP-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • rab7 GTP-Binding Proteins

Substances

  • GTPase-Activating Proteins
  • TBC1D15 protein, human
  • rab7 GTP-Binding Proteins
  • rab7 GTP-binding proteins, human
  • GBA protein, human
  • Glucosylceramidase
  • rab GTP-Binding Proteins