Gut-seeded α-synuclein fibrils promote gut dysfunction and brain pathology specifically in aged mice

Parkinson’s disease is a synucleinopathy that is characterized by motor dysfunction, death of midbrain dopaminergic neurons and accumulation of α-synuclein (α-Syn) aggregates. Evidence suggests that α-Syn aggregation can originate in peripheral tissues and progress to the brain via autonomic fibers. We tested this by inoculating the duodenal wall of mice with α-Syn preformed fibrils. Following inoculation, we observed gastrointestinal deficits and physiological changes to the enteric nervous system. Using the AAV-PHP.S capsid to target the lysosomal enzyme glucocerebrosidase for peripheral gene transfer, we found that α-Syn pathology is reduced due to the increased expression of this protein. Lastly, inoculation of α-Syn fibrils in aged mice, but not younger mice, resulted in progression of α-Syn histopathology to the midbrain and subsequent motor defects. Our results characterize peripheral synucleinopathy in prodromal Parkinson’s disease and explore cellular mechanisms for the gut-to-brain progression of α-Syn pathology. Alpha-synuclein fibrils can disrupt the enteric nervous system, which is mitigated by peripheral GBA1 gene transfer via systemic AAVs. Aging increases susceptibility to α-synuclein pathology progression from the gut to the brain.