Tau and α-synuclein pathology in amygdala of parkinsonism-dementia complex patients of Guam

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/parkinsonism-dementia complex (ALS/PDC) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder of Chamorro residents of Guam and the Mariana Islands, characterized by abundant neuron loss and tau neurofibrillary pathology similar to that observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD). A variety of neurodegenerative diseases with tau pathology including ALS/PDC also have α-synuclein positive pathology, primarily in the amygdala. We further characterized the tau and α-synuclein pathology in the amygdala of a large series of 30 Chamorros using immunohistochemical and biochemical techniques. Tau pathology was readily detected in both affected and unaffected Chamorros. In contrast, α-synuclein pathology was detected in 37% of patients with PDC but not detected in Chamorros without PDC or AD. The α-synuclein aggregates often co-localized within neurons harboring neurofibrillary tangles suggesting a possible interaction between the two proteins. Tau and α-synuclein pathology within the amygdala is biochemically similar to that observed in AD and synucleinopathies, respectively. Thus, the amygdala may be selectively vulnerable to developing both tau and α-synuclein pathology or tau pathology may predispose it to synuclein aggregation. Furthermore, in PDC, tau and α-synuclein pathology occurs independent of β-amyloid deposition in amygdala thereby implicating the aggregation of these molecules in the severe neurodegeneration frequently observed in this location.