Disease duration influences gene expression in neuromelanin-positive cells from Parkinson’s disease patients

We used RNAseq to analyze genome-wide gene expression in mDA neurons isolated by LCM from postmortem cases of PD. Patients samples are derived both early after diagnosis and after prolonged disease duration. Cases of ILBD and age-matched controls were also included in the analysis. Neuromelanin-positive dopamine neurons were isolated by laser capture microdissection from post mortem human substantia nigra from Control, PD and ILBD cases. Several replicates of 100-200 individually isolated mDA neurons per individual (either PD, ILBD or age-matched controls) were collected. . Cortical neurons from control brains (n=18 pools), visualized by Histogene quick staining, were also collected by LCM in order to provide a reference source of mRNA from a brain region devoid of mDA neurons. Libraries for RNA sequencing were generated by the Smart-seq2 protocol.