Intramembrane protease SPPL2b deficiency linked to synaptic proteostasis remodeling with brain aging

Abstract

Signal peptide peptidase-like 2b (SPPL2b) is a brain-enriched intramembrane protease implicated in synaptic function, immune signaling, and neuronal development, but its physiological role in brain and neuronal homeostasis remains poorly understood. We investigated the impact of constitutive Sppl2b deletion on the brain proteome and neuronal function using quantitative shotgun proteomics in cortex and hippocampus from wild-type and SPPL2b-deficient mice at 3 and 12 months, combined with western blot, immunofluorescence, dendritic spine analysis, and behavioral testing. SPPL2b deficiency was associated with alterations in biological processes linked to axonal transport and synaptic vesicle trafficking, including consistent upregulation of the kinesin motor protein KIF1A and vesicle-associated membrane protein 2 (VAMP2). SPPL2b deletion also attenuated age-associated proteomic changes in synaptic pathways and was accompanied by increased dendritic spine density, morphological remodeling of pyramidal neurons, increased locomotor activity, and reduced anxiety-like behavior. These findings reveal a previously unrecognized association between SPPL2b and synaptic proteome remodeling during aging and nominate SPPL2b-dependent pathways as candidates for further mechanistic and functional investigation in neurodegenerative disease.