Mitochondria interaction networks show altered topological patterns in Parkinson's disease.

Mitochondrial dysfunction is linked to pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, individual mitochondria-based analyses do not show a uniform feature in PD patients. Since mitochondria interact with each other, we hypothesize that PD-related features might exist in topological patterns of mitochondria interaction networks (MINs). Here we show that MINs formed nonclassical scale-free supernetworks in colonic ganglia both from healthy controls and PD patients; however, altered network topological patterns were observed in PD patients. These patterns were highly correlated with PD clinical scores and a machine-learning approach based on the MIN features alone accurately distinguished between patients and controls with an area-under-curve value of 0.989. The MINs of midbrain dopaminergic neurons (mDANs) derived from several genetic PD patients also displayed specific changes. CRISPR/CAS9-based genome correction of alpha-synuclein point mutations reversed the changes in MINs of mDANs. Our organelle-interaction network analysis opens another critical dimension for a deeper characterization of various complex diseases with mitochondrial dysregulation.

Differentiation of neuroepithelial stem cells into functional dopaminergic neurons in 3D microfluidic cell culture.

A hallmark of Parkinson's disease is the progressive loss of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons. We derived human neuroepithelial cells from induced pluripotent stem cells and successfully differentiated them into dopaminergic neurons within phase-guided, three-dimensional microfluidic cell culture bioreactors. After 30 days of differentiation within the microfluidic bioreactors, in situ morphological, immunocytochemical and calcium imaging confirmed the presence of dopaminergic neurons that were spontaneously electrophysiologically active, a characteristic feature of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons in vivo. Differentiation was as efficient as in macroscopic culture, with up to 19% of differentiated neurons immunoreactive for tyrosine hydroxylase, the penultimate enzyme in the synthesis of dopamine. This new microfluidic cell culture model integrates the latest innovations in developmental biology and microfluidic cell culture to generate a biologically realistic and economically efficient route to personalised drug discovery for Parkinson's disease.

Platelet mitochondrial membrane potential in Parkinson's disease.

OBJECTIVE: Mitochondrial dysfunction is a hallmark of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD), which has been reported not to be restricted to striatal neurons. However, studies that analyzed mitochondrial function at the level of selected enzymatic activities in peripheral tissues have produced conflicting data. We considered the electron transport chain as a complex system with mitochondrial membrane potential as an integrative indicator for mitochondrial fitness. METHODS: Twenty-five IPD patients (nine females; mean disease duration, 6.2 years) and 16 healthy age-matched controls (12 females) were recruited. Live platelets were purified using magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) and single-cell data on mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψ) were measured by cytometry and challenged with a protonophore agent. RESULTS: Functional mitochondrial membrane potential was detected in all participants. The challenge test reduced the membrane potential in all IPD patients and controls (P < 0.001). However, the response to the challenge was not significantly different between patients and controls. INTERPRETATION: While the reported protonophore challenge assay is a valid marker of overall mitochondrial function in live platelets, intact mitochondrial membrane potential in platelets derived from IPD patients suggests that presumed mitochondrial enzymatic deficiencies are compensable in this cell type. In consequence, mitochondrial membrane potential in platelets cannot be used as a diagnostic biomarker for nonstratified IPD but should be further explored in potential Parkinson's disease subtypes and tissues with higher energy demands.