PUBLICATION

Unexpected phenotypic and molecular changes of combined glucocerebrosidase and acid sphingomyelinase deficiency

Authors
Keatinge, M., Gegg, M.E., Watson, L., Mortiboys, H., Li, N., Dunning, M., Ailani, D., Bui, H., van Rens, A., Lefeber, D.J., Schapira, A.H.V., MacDonald, R.B., Bandmann, O.
ID
ZDB-PUB-230324-41
Date
2023
Source
Disease models & mechanisms   16(6): (Journal)
Registered Authors
Bandmann, Oliver, Keatinge, Marcus, Li, Nan
Keywords
Acid sphingomyelinase, Gene-gene interaction., Glucocerebrosidase 1, Parkinson's disease, Zebrafish
Datasets
GEO:GSE229995
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Glucosylceramidase/genetics
  • Glucosylceramidase/metabolism
  • Mutation/genetics
  • Niemann-Pick Disease, Type A*
  • Parkinson Disease*/metabolism
  • Phenotype
  • Zebrafish/genetics
  • Zebrafish/metabolism
  • alpha-Synuclein/metabolism
PubMed
36951087 Full text @ Dis. Model. Mech.
Abstract
Heterozygous variants in GBA1 encoding glucocerebrosidase (GCase) are the most common genetic risk factor for Parkinson's disease (PD). Moreover, sporadic PD patients also have a substantial reduction of GCase activity. Genetic variants in SMPD1 are also overrepresented in PD cohorts, whilst a reduction of its encoded enzyme (ASM) activity is linked to an earlier age of PD onset. Despite both converging on the ceramide pathway, how combined deficiencies of both enzymes may interact to modulate PD has yet to be explored. Therefore, we created a double knock out (DKO) zebrafish line for both gba1 and smpd1 to test for an interaction in vivo, hypothesising an exacerbation of phenotypes in the DKO compared to single mutants. Unexpectedly, DKOs maintained conventional swimming behaviour and had normalised neuronal gene expression signatures when compared to single mutants. We further identified rescue of mitochondrial Complexes I and IV in DKOs. Despite having an unexpected rescue effect, our results confirm ASM as a modifier of GBA1 deficiency in vivo. Our study highlights the need for validating how genetic variants and enzymatic deficiencies may interact in vivo.
Genes / Markers
Figures
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Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping