PINK1 deficiency rewires early immune responses in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease triggered by intestinal infection

Abstract Parkinson’s disease is characterized by a period of non-motor symptoms, including gastrointestinal dysfunction, preceding motor deficits by several years to decades. This long prodrome is suggestive of peripheral immunity involvement in the initiation of disease. We previously developed a m...

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Main Authors: Sherilyn Junelle Recinto, Alexandra Kazanova, Lin Liu, Brendan Cordeiro, Shobina Premachandran, Hicham Bessaiah, Alexis Allot, Elia Afanasiev, Sriparna Mukherjee, Jessica Pei, Adam MacDonald, Moein Yaqubi, Heidi M. McBride, Diana Matheoud, Louis-Eric Trudeau, Samantha Gruenheid, Jo Anne Stratton
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-05-01
Series:npj Parkinson's Disease
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-025-00945-w
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Summary:Abstract Parkinson’s disease is characterized by a period of non-motor symptoms, including gastrointestinal dysfunction, preceding motor deficits by several years to decades. This long prodrome is suggestive of peripheral immunity involvement in the initiation of disease. We previously developed a model system in PINK1 KO mice displaying PD-like motor symptoms at late stages following intestinal infections. Herein, we map the initiating immune events at the site of infection in this model. Using single-cell RNAseq, we demonstrate that peripheral myeloid cells are the earliest highly dysregulated immune cell type followed by an aberrant T cell response shortly after. We also demonstrate an increased propensity for antigen presentation and that activated myeloid cells acquire a proinflammatory profile capable of inducing cytotoxic T cell responses. Together, our study provides the first evidence that PINK1 is a key regulator of immune functions in the gut underlying early PD-related disease mechanisms.
ISSN:2373-8057