Distinct Patterns of Gene Expression Changes in the Colon and Striatum of Young Mice Overexpressing Alpha-Synuclein Support Parkinson’s Disease as a Multi-System Process

BACKGROUND: Evidence supports a role for the gut-brain axis in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Mice overexpressing human wild type α– synuclein (Thy1-haSyn) exhibit slow colonic transit prior to motor deficits, mirroring prodromal constipation in PD. Identifying molecular changes in the gut could provide both biomarkers for early diagnosis and gut-targeted therapies to prevent progression. OBJECTIVE: To identify early molecular changes in the gut-brain axis in Thy1-haSyn mice through gene expression profiling. METHODS: Gene expression profiling was performed on gut (colon) and brain (striatal) tissue from Thy1-haSyn and wild-type (WT) mice aged 1 and 3 months using 3(′) RNA sequencing. Analysis included differential expression, gene set enrichment and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). RESULTS: At one month, differential expression (Thy1-haSyn vs. WT) of mitochondrial genes and pathways related to PD was discordant between gut and brain, with negative enrichment in brain (enriched in WT) but positive enrichment in gut. Linear regression of WGCNA modules showed partial independence of gut and brain gene expression changes. Thy1-haSyn-associated WGCNA modules in the gut were enriched for PD risk genes and PD-relevant pathways including inflammation, autophagy, and oxidative stress. Changes in gene expression were modest at 3 months. CONCLUSIONS: Overexpression of haSyn acutely disrupts gene expression in the colon. While changes in colon gene expression are highly related to known PD-relevant mechanisms, they are distinct from brain changes, and in some cases, opposite in direction. These findings are in line with the emerging view of PD as a multi-system disease.