Molecular profiling of alpha-synuclein pathology and seeding activity in Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is neuropathologically characterized by the abnormal accumulation of fibrillar alpha-synuclein (aSyn) within selectively vulnerable neuronal populations. Although this pathological hallmark is shared across individuals with PD, the disease presents with marked clinical heterogeneity in age of onset, progression rate, and clinical symptoms, the molecular basis of which remains incompletely understood. In this study, we examined whether biochemical and seeding-related properties of aSyn vary across clinically defined PD subgroups. Using well-characterized, autopsy-confirmed PD cases and matched controls we applied complementary biochemical, cell-based aggregation, and cell-free seed amplification assays (SAA) to investigate aSyn molecular heterogeneity and its potential contribution to disease diversity. Autopsy-confirmed PD cases were classified as early-onset (< 60 years) or late-onset (> 60 years), with the late-onset group further subdivided into fast-progressing (< 5 years duration) and slow-progressing (> 10 years duration). Analysis of detergent-insoluble fractions from PD brains revealed significantly elevated pSer129-aSyn levels compared to controls, while total aSyn was highest in late-onset PD. Seeding bioactivity measured via FRET-based biosensor cells was significantly increased in PD, albeit with substantial inter-individual variability; late-onset and slow-progressing groups exhibited the strongest activity. Seeding activity correlated positively with pSer129-aSyn levels. These findings were supported by high-content imaging, which demonstrated increased intracellular aggregate burden in PD samples. SAA confirmed robust seeding activity in PD, with shorter lag times relative to controls. Finally, proteinase K digestion of amplified products revealed differences in proteolytic resistance between PD and control samples, consistent with biochemical heterogeneity of seeding-competent species. Collectively, these findings suggest that aSyn pathology in PD is associated with marked inter-individual variability in biochemical and seeding properties. Our results highlight the importance of considering molecular heterogeneity at the individual patient level when investigating PD pathobiology and supports the need for precision medicine approaches for PD patients.