Low doses of single or combined agrichemicals induces α-synuclein aggregation in nigrostriatal system of mice through inhibition of proteasomal and autophagic pathways.

Alpha synuclein (SNCA) genes and environmental factors are important risk factors of Parkinson's disease (PD). The agrichemicals paraquat, maneb and chlorpyrifos selectively target dopaminergic neurons, leading to parkinsonism, through ill-defined mechanisms. We analyzed the ability of low dose paraquat, maneb and chlorpyrifos, separately or combined together, to induce synucleinopathy in wild type mice. Paraquat and maneb applied together did not increase α-Synuclein (α-Syn) levels. By contrast, paraquat and chlorpyrifos together resulted in robust accumulation of α-Syn in striata in mice. Therefore, co-treatment with chlorpyrifos enhanced the effects of paraquat. Paraquat, and its co-treatment with maneb or chlorpyrifos, inhibited all soluble proteasomal expression of 26S proteasome subunits. Both paraquat and chlorpyrifos treatments increased levels of the autophagy inhibitor, mammalian target of rapamycin, mTOR, suggesting impaired axonal autophagy, despite increases in certain autophagic proteins, such as beclin 1 and Atg 12. Autophagic flux was also impaired, as ratios of LC3 II to LC3 I were reduced in all the treated animals. These results suggest that a combination of paraquat and chlorpyrifos is much more toxic than paraquat alone or combined with maneb. These effects are likely via inhibitory effects of these toxins on proteasomes and autophagy, which lead to accumulation of α-Syn. Our study provides a novel insight into the mechanisms of action of these agrichemicals.