Olfactory deficits are an early feature of Parkinson's disease (PD). Neuropathologically, α-synucleinopathy (Lewy bodies and neurites) is observed earlier (stage 1) in the olfactory system than in the substantia nigra (stage 3), and this could underlies the early olfactory symptoms. In the present report, we analyzed the distribution of α-synuclein deposits in tertiary olfactory structures (anterior olfactory nucleus, olfactory tubercle, piriform cortex, posterolateral cortical amygdala and lateral entorhinal cortex) of homozygous transgenic mice (aged 2-8 months) overexpressing the human A53T variant of α-synuclein. To address the hypothesis of progressive α-synucleinopathy within the olfactory system, the distribution of α-synuclein was analyzed in conjunction with tracer injections into the main olfactory bulb. The time-course of α-synuclein expression revealed a significant increase in the piriform cortex at the age of 8 months compared to other brain structures. Tracing experiments revealed that olfactory projections are reduced in homozygous as compared to wild type animals. Double-labeling experiments show labeled axonal collaterals of mitral cells entering layer II of the piriform cortex in close proximity to α-synuclein-positive cells. To our knowledge, this is the first study addressing the progression of α-synuclein expression in a vulnerable neuronal pathway in PD.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00429-011-0347-4 | DOI Listing |
J Neuropathol Exp Neurol
January 2025
Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Parkinson and Movement Disorders Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy.
The EIF4G1 gene has been considered an autosomal dominant cause of Parkinson disease (PD), even if its role is still debated. The objective of this study was to describe the phenotype and α-synuclein distribution in peripheral tissues in 2 related PD patients (mother and daughter), who are carriers of the same variant in exon 10 of EIF4G1 (c.1216G>A, p.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInsects
January 2025
Centre for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, 38068 Rovereto, Italy.
severely damages the production of berry and stone fruits in large parts of the world. Unlike , which reproduces on overripe and fermenting fruits on the ground, prefers to lay its eggs in ripening fruits still on the plants. Flies locate fruit hosts by their odorant volatiles, which are detected and encoded by a highly specialised olfactory system before being translated into behaviour.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInsects
January 2025
State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
Insects have highly developed olfactory systems in which cytochrome P450s (CYPs) were involved as odor-degrading enzymes throughout the olfactory recognition of odor compounds by insects to avoid continuous stimulation of signaling molecules and thus damage to the olfactory nervous. To understand whether the highly expressed CYPs in the antennae play an olfactory function in worker, in this study, we find six highly expressed antennal CYPs from the transcriptome of . Multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis divided them into two families: the CYP3 family (, ) and the CYP4 family (, , , ).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInsects
December 2024
School of Food and Strategic Reserves, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China.
The olfactory sensory system plays vital roles in daily activities, such as locating mate partners, foraging, and risk avoidance. Natural enemies can locate their prey through characteristic volatiles. However, little is known about whether prey can recognize the volatiles of their predators and if this recognition can increase the efficiency of prey escaping from predators.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiomedicines
January 2025
Brain and Mental Health, Cellular and Molecular Neurodegeneration, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia.
The escalating issue of air pollution contributes to an alarming number of premature fatalities each year, thereby posing a significant threat to global health. The focus of recent research has shifted towards understanding its potential association with neurodegenerative diseases, specifically Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD is recognised for its characteristic deposition of toxic proteins within the brain, leading to a steady deterioration of cognitive capabilities, memory failure, and, ultimately, death.
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