Glucocerebrosidase regulators SCARB2 and TFEB are up-regulated in Lewy body disease brain

Abstract Mutations in the glucocerebrosidase (GCase) gene ( GBA ) and GCase deficiency are major risk factors for Lewy body diseases. Decreased GCase activity enhances alpha-synuclein aggregation and disease development. Lysosomal integral membrane protein type 2, encoded by SCARB2, binds GCase targeting it to lysosomes and transcription factor EB (Tfeb) regulates lysosomal proteostasis. Our aim was to find out if GCase deficiency in Lewy body diseases is accompanied by SCARB2 and TFEB deregulation at the transcriptional level involving alternative splicing as well. Relative mRNA expression of two SCARB2 and two TFEB transcripts was studied by real-time PCR in post-mortem brain samples of cases with pure Lewy body pathology (LBP), cases with concomitant LBP and Alzheimer disease-like pathology, and controls. TFEB expression was increased in the temporal cortex and caudate nucleus of LBP cases, and SCARB2 was differentially expressed. Female-gender associated overexpression of all transcripts was found in the caudate nucleus, and disease duration associated TFEB expression changes in the temporal cortex. SCARB2 and TFEB expression correlated negatively with GBA mRNA expression in the temporal cortex. Our findings show disease-specific deregulation of TFEB and SCARB2 expression affecting alternative promoter usage and alternative splicing in Lewy body diseases.