Differences in sex and genetic status affect the disruption of NMDAR-related amino acid homeostasis in Parkinson’s disease

Sex and genetic differences influence the epidemiology of Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, their impact on the homeostasis of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)-related amino acids and their precursors remains unexplored. In this study, we measured serum levels of these neuroactive molecules using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in a genetically and clinically well-characterized cohort of PD patients (n = 245) and healthy controls (n = 203). PD cases were stratified by sex and subtype: idiopathic (n = 121) and genetic (n = 124), the latter including carriers of pathogenic variants in LRRK2 , TMEM175 , PARK2 , PINK1 , PARK7 , and GBA1 . We observed marked sex- and genotype-specific alterations in the serum profiles of D- and L-amino acids. Men with idiopathic conditions exhibited significant reductions in NMDAR-related amino acids and their precursors, including L-glutamate, L-aspartate, glycine, D-serine, L-serine, L-glutamine, and L-asparagine, compared to controls. Conversely, male patients with genetic PD showed a selective decrease in L-aspartate. Female PD patients, regardless of genetic status, did not show significant amino acid reductions. Intriguingly, D-serine levels positively correlated with motor worsening in patients as indexed by MDS-UPDRS III scores in TMEM175 mutation carriers of both sexes. Lastly, targeted genetic screening revealed sex- and subtype-specific associations with GRIN2A polymorphisms, suggesting a genetic contribution to the changes in NMDAR subunit composition reported in PD.

Our findings reveal a previously unrecognized impact of sex and genotype differences on NMDAR-related amino acid balance in PD. These results highlight the importance of considering these factors in the discovery of biomarkers and in the development of personalized therapeutic strategies for managing PD.