PINK1 deficiency permits the development of Lewy body dementia with coexisting Aβ pathology.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), a prevalent neurodegenerative dementia, involves α-synuclein (α-syn) aggregates and frequent amyloid beta (Aβ) co-pathology, but mechanistic drivers remain unclear.

Methods

We crossed pink1 knockout with APP/PS1 mice, and assessed behavioral and pathological phenotypes of the resulting animals. We also performed biochemical and biophysical characterizations of PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) phosphorylation of α-syn.

Results

DLB brains show PINK1 deficiency alongside α-syn and Aβ co-pathology. Mirroring human DLB patients, APP/PS1::pink1-/- mice spontaneously develop Lewy pathology at endogenous α-syn levels, affecting both central and peripheral nervous systems with heterogeneous phenotypes. Mechanistically, PINK1 phosphory

SUBMITTER: Gao TY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12457948 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature