Loss of epigenetic adaptation to a high-fat diet in alpha-synuclein transgenic mice

Similarly, in animal models a high-fat diet exacerbates PD-related phenotypes, including dopaminergic neurodegeneration, and alpha-synuclein aggregation. We previously demonstrated that transgenic mice overexpressing human, mutated A30P alpha-synuclein failed to transcriptionally adapt to metabolic stress which could be a potential explanation for the high-fat diet-dependent aggravation of PD pathology.

However, the underlying epigenetic mechanisms that might regulate this impaired response remained unknown. Here, we profiled genome-wide DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation in brainstem and hippocampus of wild type and transgenic mice exposed to a long-term standard or high-fat diet. Wild type mice displayed pronounced diet-dependent adaptions that were largely missing in transgenic mice.