Aggregation-prone alpha-synuclein proteoforms and dysregulated molecular signatures in the vermiform appendix of synucleinopathy patients

Synucleinopathies, including Parkinson’s disease, are neurodegenerative diseases characterized by intracellular inclusions containing the amyloidogenic protein alpha-synuclein. While classically considered to be brain disorders, increasing evidence suggests involvement of the gut, with alpha-synuclein aggregates potentially propagating to the brain via the vagus nerve. Evidence also suggests that the vermiform appendix is particularly susceptible to alpha-synuclein aggregation, and appendectomy impacts the onset of Parkinson’s disease. However, the mechanisms underlying the aggregation of alpha-synuclein in the vermiform appendix remains poorly understood. To explore this, we assessed aggregation properties in postmortem appendix tissues from healthy controls and synucleinopathy patients using the alpha-synuclein seed amplification assay (alpha-synuclein-SAA) and performed total RNA sequencing alongside differential bisulfite-hybridization-based DNA methylation analysis in the same tissues to investigate the molecular underpinnings. Moreover, we determined alpha-synuclein cleavage patterns by cataloging soluble alpha-synuclein proteoforms from postmortem substantia nigra and post-surgical appendix tissues using top-down mass spectrometry (TD-MS). Alpha-synuclein-SAA was positive in appendix samples for 68.75% of synucleinopathy patients and 6.6% of controls. Genomic profiling revealed dysregulated expression of genes linked to protein folding/degradation, immune/inflammatory responses, and ciliary dynamics in synucleinopathy appendix tissues. TD-MS identified 65 distinct alpha-synuclein proteoforms in the substantia nigra and appendix, with 9 unique to the appendix. Further, in silico modeling revealed higher aggregation propensity of alpha-synuclein proteoforms in the appendix versus substantia nigra. Together, our findings suggest that a tissue environment of alpha-synuclein dysproteostasis in the appendix has the potential to contribute to the development of synucleinopathies.