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Review
. 2024 Apr 8;379(1899):20220381.
doi: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0381. Epub 2024 Feb 19.

Lysosomal storage, impaired autophagy and innate immunity in Gaucher and Parkinson's diseases: insights for drug discovery

Alexander Hull  1 , Magda L Atilano  1 , Laith Gergi  1 , Kerri J Kinghorn  1
Affiliations
Review

Lysosomal storage, impaired autophagy and innate immunity in Gaucher and Parkinson's diseases: insights for drug discovery

Alexander Hull et al. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. .

Abstract

Impairment of autophagic-lysosomal pathways is increasingly being implicated in Parkinson's disease (PD). GBA1 mutations cause the lysosomal storage disorder Gaucher disease (GD) and are the commonest known genetic risk factor for PD. GBA1 mutations have been shown to cause autophagic-lysosomal impairment. Defective autophagic degradation of unwanted cellular constituents is associated with several pathologies, including loss of normal protein homeostasis, particularly of α-synuclein, and innate immune dysfunction. The latter is observed both peripherally and centrally in PD and GD. Here, we will discuss the mechanistic links between autophagy and immune dysregulation, and the possible role of these pathologies in communication between the gut and brain in these disorders. Recent work in a fly model of neuronopathic GD (nGD) revealed intestinal autophagic defects leading to gastrointestinal dysfunction and immune activation. Rapamycin treatment partially reversed the autophagic block and reduced immune activity, in association with increased survival and improved locomotor performance. Alterations in the gut microbiome are a critical driver of neuroinflammation, and studies have revealed that eradication of the microbiome in nGD fly and mouse models of PD ameliorate brain inflammation. Following these observations, lysosomal-autophagic pathways, innate immune signalling and microbiome dysbiosis are discussed as potential therapeutic targets in PD and GD. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Understanding the endo-lysosomal network in neurodegeneration'.

Keywords: Gaucher disease; Parkinson's disease; autophagy; immunity.

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Conflict of interest statement

We declare we have no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Schematic summarizing the key interactions between molecular hallmarks of GBA1-associated disease, the autophagic–lysosomal system and innate immune pathways.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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