In vivo and in silico alpha-synuclein propagation dynamics: The role of genotype, epicentre, and connectivity

Synucleinopathies, like Parkinson’s disease (PD) are characterized by progressive accumulation and spread of misfolded alpha-synuclein (aSyn) throughout the brain. To improve understanding of disease mechanisms we studied the generalizability of aSyn-mediated atrophy. First, we examined wild-type and M83 A53T hemizygous transgenic mice receiving striatal inoculation with human or mouse preformed fibrils (PFFs). Using magnetic resonance imaging, we demonstrate network-like atrophy and motor deficits, regardless of genotype or PFF species; atrophy was most prominent in M83 mice with mouse PFFs, while human PFFs or wild-type hosts showed attenuated effects. Changing the inoculation site (disease epicentre) to the hippocampus, a major connectivity hub, resulted in localized atrophy. Computational models previously validated in clinical PD predict atrophy patterns associated with striatal but not hippocampal inoculation. Our findings reveal atrophy resulting from aSyn spreading is generalizable across genotype and PFF species, but not disease epicentres, emphasizing the role of regional vulnerability in disease progression.