Stable isotope labeling and ultra-high-resolution NanoSIMS imaging reveal alpha-synuclein-induced changes in neuronal metabolism in vivo

In Parkinson’s disease, pathogenic factors such as the intraneuronal accumulation of the protein α-synuclein affect key metabolic processes. New approaches are required to understand how metabolic dysregulations cause degeneration of vulnerable subtypes of neurons in the brain. Here, we apply correlative electron microscopy and NanoSIMS isotopic imaging to map and quantify (13)C enrichments in dopaminergic neurons at the subcellular level after pulse-chase administration of (13)C-labeled glucose. To model a condition leading to neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease, human α-synuclein was unilaterally overexpressed in the substantia nigra of one brain hemisphere in rats. When comparing neurons overexpressing α-synuclein to those located in the control hemisphere, the carbon anabolism and turnover rates revealed metabolic anomalies in specific neuronal compartments and organelles. Overexpression of α-synuclein enhanced the overall carbon turnover in nigral neurons, despite a lower relative incorporation of carbon inside the nucleus. Furthermore, mitochondria and Golgi apparatus showed metabolic defects consistent with the effects of α-synuclein on inter-organellar communication. By revealing changes in the kinetics of carbon anabolism and turnover at the subcellular level, this approach can be used to explore how neurodegeneration unfolds in specific subpopulations of neurons. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40478-023-01608-8.