AUTHOR=Zheng Jolene , Wang Mingming , Wei Wenqian , Keller Jeffrey N. , Adhikari Binita , King Jason F. , King Michael L. , Peng Nan , Laine Roger A. 

TITLE=Dietary Plant Lectins Appear to Be Transported from the Gut to Gain Access to and Alter Dopaminergic Neurons of Caenorhabditis elegans, a Potential Etiology of Parkinson’s Disease

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Nutrition

VOLUME=3

YEAR=2016

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2016.00007

DOI=10.3389/fnut.2016.00007

ISSN=2296-861X

ABSTRACT=<p>Lectins from dietary plants have been shown to enhance drug absorption in the gastrointestinal tract of rats, be transported trans-synaptically as shown by tracing of axonal and dendritic paths, and enhance gene delivery. Other carbohydrate-binding protein toxins are known to traverse the gut intact in dogs. Post-feeding rhodamine- or TRITC-tagged dietary lectins, the lectins were tracked from gut to dopaminergic neurons (DAergic-N) in transgenic <italic>Caenorhabditis elegans</italic> (<italic>C. elegans</italic>) [<italic>egIs1</italic>(<italic>Pdat-1:GFP</italic>)] where the mutant has the green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene fused to a dopamine transport protein gene labeling DAergic-N. The lectins were supplemented along with the food organism <italic>Escherichia coli</italic> (OP50). Among nine tested rhodamine/TRITC-tagged lectins, four, including <italic>Phaseolus vulgaris</italic> erythroagglutinin (PHA-E)<italic>, Bandeiraea simplicifolia</italic> (BS-I), <italic>Dolichos biflorus</italic> agglutinin (DBA), and <italic>Arachis hypogaea</italic> agglutinin (PNA), appeared to be transported from gut to the GFP-DAergic-N. <italic>Griffonia Simplicifolia</italic> and PHA-E, reduced the number of GFP-DAergic-N, suggesting a toxic activity. PHA-E, BS-I, <italic>Pisum sativum</italic> (PSA), and <italic>Triticum vulgaris</italic> agglutinin (Succinylated) reduced fluorescent intensity of GFP-DAergic-N. PHA-E, PSA, <italic>Concanavalin A</italic>, and <italic>Triticum vulgaris</italic> agglutinin decreased the size of GFP-DAergic-N, while BS-I increased neuron size. These observations suggest that dietary plant lectins are transported to and affect DAergic-N in <italic>C. elegans</italic>, which support Braak and Hawkes’ hypothesis, suggesting one alternate potential dietary etiology of Parkinson’s disease (PD). A recent Danish study showed that vagotomy resulted in 40% lower incidence of PD over 20 years. Differences in inherited sugar structures of gut and neuronal cell surfaces may make some individuals more susceptible in this conceptual disease etiology model.</p>