Individual Amino Acid Supplementation Can Improve Energy Metabolism and Decrease ROS Production in Neuronal Cells Overexpressing Alpha-Synuclein

Creator(s)

Vedad Delic, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics
Jeddidiah W.D. Griffin, Quillen-Dishner College of Medicine
Sandra Zivkovic, University of South Florida, Tampa
Yumeng Zhang, University of South Florida, Tampa
Tam Anh Phan, University of South Florida, Tampa
Henry Gong, Quillen-Dishner College of MedicineFollow
Dale Chaput, University of South Florida, Tampa
Christian Reynes, University of South Florida, Tampa
Vinh B. Dinh, University of South Florida, Tampa
Josean Cruz, University of South Florida, Tampa
Eni Cvitkovic, University of South Florida, Tampa
Devon Placides, University of South Florida, Tampa
Ernide Frederic, University of South Florida, Tampa
Hamed Mirzaei, University of Southern California
Stanley M. Stevens, University of South Florida, Tampa
Umesh Jinwal, University of South Florida, Tampa
Daniel C. Lee, University of South Florida, Tampa
Patrick C. Bradshaw, Quillen-Dishner College of MedicineFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-1-2017

Description

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by alpha-synuclein accumulation and loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN) region of the brain. Increased levels of alpha-synuclein have been shown to result in loss of mitochondrial electron transport chain complex I activity leading to increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. WT alpha-synuclein was stably overexpressed in human BE(2)-M17 neuroblastoma cells resulting in increased levels of an alpha-synuclein multimer, but no increase in alpha-synuclein monomer levels. Oxygen consumption was decreased by alpha-synuclein overexpression, but ATP levels did not decrease and ROS levels did not increase. Treatment with ferrous sulfate, a ROS generator, resulted in decreased oxygen consumption in both control and alpha-synuclein overexpressing cells. However, this treatment only decreased ATP levels and increased ROS production in the cells overexpressing alpha-synuclein. Similarly, paraquat, another ROS generator, decreased ATP levels in the alpha-synuclein overexpressing cells, but not in the control cells, further demonstrating how alpha-synuclein sensitized the cells to oxidative insult. Proteomic analysis yielded molecular insights into the cellular adaptations to alpha-synuclein overexpression, such as the increased abundance of many mitochondrial proteins. Many amino acids and citric acid cycle intermediates and their ester forms were individually supplemented to the cells with l-serine, l-proline, l-aspartate, or l-glutamine decreasing ROS production in oxidatively stressed alpha-synuclein overexpressing cells, while diethyl oxaloacetate or l-valine supplementation increased ATP levels. These results suggest that dietary supplementation with individual metabolites could yield bioenergetic improvements in PD patients to delay loss of dopaminergic neurons.

Citation Information

Delic, Vedad; Griffin, Jeddidiah W.D.; Zivkovic, Sandra; Zhang, Yumeng; Phan, Tam Anh; Gong, Henry; Chaput, Dale; Reynes, Christian; Dinh, Vinh B.; Cruz, Josean; Cvitkovic, Eni; Placides, Devon; Frederic, Ernide; Mirzaei, Hamed; Stevens, Stanley M.; Jinwal, Umesh; Lee, Daniel C.; and Bradshaw, Patrick C.. 2017. Individual Amino Acid Supplementation Can Improve Energy Metabolism and Decrease ROS Production in Neuronal Cells Overexpressing Alpha-Synuclein. NeuroMolecular Medicine. Vol.19(2-3). 322-344. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12017-017-8448-8 PMID: 28620826 ISSN: 1535-1084