Glucocerebrosidase activity, cathepsin D and monomeric α-synuclein interactions in a stem cell derived neuronal model of a PD associated GBA1 mutation

The presence of GBA1 gene mutations increases risk for Parkinson's disease (PD), but the pathogenic mechanisms of GBA1 associated PD remain unknown. Given that impaired α-synuclein turnover is a hallmark of PD pathogenesis and cathepsin D is a key enzyme involved in α-synuclein degradation in neuronal cells, we have examined the relationship of glucocerebrosidase (GCase), cathepsin D and monomeric α-synuclein in human neural crest stem cell...