Spike RBD drives sustained Parkinson’s disease progression via microglia-neuron crosstalk-mediated RTP801 upregulation

Abstract

Introduction Emerging evidence highlights the exacerbation and sustained Parkinson’s disease (PD) progression following COVID-19. The SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding domain (RBD), which can persist in the brain post-infection, is a likely contributor, but how it drives this neuropathology is unclear. Objectives To elucidate the underlying mechanisms of long COVID’s impact on PD and identify mechanism that contribute to the continuous progression of PD. Methods The SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD was stereotactically injected into the substantia nigra pars compacta of α-synuclein (αSyn) A53T mice within a chronic stress-genetic susceptibility model. We characterized the pathological impact of RBD using motor and non-motor behavioral tests, fMRI-based functional connectivity, in vivo electrophysiology, immunofluorescence, and αSyn aggregate analysis. To elucidate the underlying mechanisms, we then employed RNA-sequencing, transmission electron microscopy, microglial depletion, and comparative studies in αSyn A53T mice lacking RTP801 (αSyn A53T+; RTP801−/−). Results RBD accelerated PD-related motor and non-motor symptom deterioration, impaired brain functional connectivity, and reduced neuronal excitability. It exacerbated dopaminergic neuron degeneration and αSyn aggregation. RTP801 was identified as a critical mediator of RBD-induced PD progression, with its sustained upregulation in dopaminergic neurons dependent on microglial activation. Mechanistically, initially activates microglia induced an increase in neuronal RTP801 via IL-6 and IL-8. RBD leaded to mitochondrial dysfunction, mtDNA release, and activation of the cGAS-STING pathway between neurons and microglia, triggering a mtDNA-cGAS-STING-IFNβ/RTP801 feedback loop, driving neurodegeneration. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 RBD exacerbates PD progression through a pathogenic crosstalk between microglia and neurons. This neurotoxic signaling is mediated by a mitochondrial mtDNA-cGAS-STING-IFNβ/RTP801 axis. Targeting RTP801 or the STING pathway may therefore represent a promising therapeutic strategy to mitigate long COVID-associated progression of PD.