Opposing functions of β-arrestin 1 and 2 in Parkinson’s disease via microglia inflammation and Nprl3

Abstract Background Although β-arrestins (ARRBs) regulate diverse physiological and pathophysiological processes, their function and regulation in Parkinson’s disease (PD) remain poorly defined. Methods We measured expression of ARRB1 and ARRB2 in liposaccharide (LPS)-induced and 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced PD mice. ARRB1-deficient and ARRB2-deficient mouse were used to assess the impact of ARRBs on dopaminergic (DA) neuron loss and microglia activation in PD mouse models. After primary mouse DA neurons were exposed to the conditioned medium from ARRB1 knockdown or ARRB2 knockout microglia stimulated by LPS plus interferon γ (IFN-γ), the degeneration of DA neurons was quantified. Gain- and loss-of-function studies were used to study the effects of ARRBs on microglia activation in vitro. To further understand the mechanism, we measured the activation of classical inflammatory pathways and used RNA sequencing to identify the novel downstream effector of ARRBs. Result In this study, we demonstrate that expression of ARRB1 and ARRB2, particularly in microglia, is reciprocally regulated in PD mouse models. ARRB1 ablation ameliorates, whereas ARRB2 knockout aggravates, the pathological features of PD, including DA neuron loss, neuroinflammation and microglia activation in vivo, as well as microglia-mediated neuron damage and inflammation in vitro. In parallel, ARRB1 and ARRB2 produce adverse effects on the activation of inflammatory signal transducers and activators of transcription 1 (STAT1) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathways in microglia. We also show that two ARRBs competitively interact with activated p65 in the NF-κB pathway and that nitrogen permease regulator-like 3 (Nprl3), a functionally poorly characterized protein, is a novel effector acting downstream of both ARRBs. Conclusion Collectively, these data demonstrate that two closely related ARRBs have completely opposite functions in microglia-mediated inflammatory responses, via Nprl3, and differentially affect the pathogenesis of PD, and suggest a potential therapeutic strategy.