Environmental enrichment prevents transcriptional disturbances induced by alpha-Synuclein overexpression

Using a mouse model overexpressing human SNCA and profiling the hippocampal transcriptome, we assessed gene-environment interactions to reveal perturbations in gene expression and their modulation through long-term enriched environment (EE) exposure. We observed that EE prevented perturbations of genes attributed to neuronal and glial cell types and linked to glutamate signaling, calcium homeostasis, inflammation, and related processes of SNCA biology. Cluster and promoter analyses suggested driver genes that specifically responded to the EE, and pointed to a pivotal role of Egr1 to have hierarchically activated other drivers. We suggest a model in which EE-induced driver genes prevent and counter-balance perturbations of SNCA overexpression, restoring a largely normalized gene expression profile and system state. Overall design: Using a 2x2 factorial design, we cross-compared a line of transgenic mice overexpressing human SNCA with wildtype animals, and the effects of a long-term EE with standard housing conditions. Employing RNA-seq, we profiled gene expression in the hippocampus of 12-month-old female animals.

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Wassouf Z, Hentrich T, Samer S, Rotermund C, Kahle PJ, Ehrlich I, Riess O, Casadei N, Schulze-Hentrich JM