Manganese exposure induces parkinsonism-like symptoms by Serpina3n-TFEB-v/p-ATPase signaling mediated lysosomal dysfunction

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Manganese (Mn) is a neurotoxin that has been etiologically linked to the development of neurodegenerative diseases in the case of overexposure. It is widely accepted that overexposure to Mn leads to manganism, which has clinical symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease (PD), and is referred to as parkinsonism. Astrocytes have been reported to scavenge and degrade extracellular α-synuclein (α-Syn) in the brain. However, the mechanisms of Mn-induced neurotoxicity associated with PD remain unclear. Serpina3n is highly expressed in astrocytes and has been implicated in several neuropathologies. The role Serpina3n plays in Mn neurotoxicity and PD pathogenesis is still unknown. Here, we used wild-type and Serpina3n knockout (KO) C57BL/6 J mice with i.p. injection of 32.5 mg/kg MnCl2 once a day for 6 weeks to elucidate the role of Serpina3n in Mn-caused neurotoxicity regarding parkinsonism pathogenesis. We performed behavioral tests (open field, suspension and pole-climbing tests) to observe Mn-induced motor changes, immunohistochemistry to detect Mn-induced midbrain changes, and Western blot to detect Mn-induced changes of protein expression. It was found that Serpina3n KO markedly alleviated Mn neurotoxicity in mice by attenuating midbrain dopaminergic neuron damage and ameliorating motor deficits. Furthermore, using immunofluorescence colocalization analysis, Western blot and quantitative real-time PCR on Mn-treated C8-D1A cells, we found that Serpina3n KO significantly improved astrocytic α-Syn clearance by suppressing Mn-induced lysosomal dysfunction. Reduced transcription factor EB (TFEB)-v/p-ATPase signaling is responsible for the impairment of the lysosomal acidic environment. These novel findings highlight Serpina3n as a detrimental factor in Mn neurotoxicity associated with parkinsonism, capture the novel role of Serpina3n in regulating lysosomal function, and provide a potential target for antagonizing Mn neurotoxicity and curing parkinsonism in humans.