Alpha-synuclein aggregation and neurodegenerative diseases.

Abstract

Alpha-synuclein is a neuronal protein originally identified in Alzheimer's disease (AD) amyloid plaques in 1993 and named non-Abeta component precursor (NACP) [92]. Later, the discovery of two missense mutations (G88C and G209A), which resulted in Ala30Pro (A30P) and Ala53Thr (A53T) substitutions, of the alpha-synuclein gene in certain autosomal-dominant early onset familial Parkinson's disease (PD) has greatly promoted the understanding of the role of alpha-synuclein in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, such as PD, dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and multiple system atrophy (MSA) [5,6,51,75]. At present, it is widely accepted that alpha-synuclein may play a central role in several neurodegenerative disorders because of the presence of insoluble alpha-synuclein as the major fibrillar component of inclusion bodies. From the cloning of the human alpha-synuclein cDNA in 1993 to the present, alpha-synuclein has been carefully documented in many aspects. In this article, we review the progress of studies on alpha-synuclein and its role in alpha-synuclein-related neurodegenerative diseases.

• Authors: Qiu-Lan Ma, Piu Chan, Mitsunobu Yoshii, Kenji Uéda
• Journal: Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD (J Alzheimers Dis) Vol. 5 Issue 2 Pg. 139-48 (Apr 2003) ISSN: 1387-2877 [Print] Netherlands
• PMID: 12719631 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• DNA, Complementary
• Nerve Tissue Proteins
• Phosphoproteins
• SNCA protein, human
• Snca protein, mouse
• Synucleins
• alpha-Synuclein

Topics

• Animals
• Cloning, Molecular
• DNA, Complementary
• Disease Models, Animal
• Drosophila
• Humans
• Mice
• Mice, Transgenic
• Nerve Tissue Proteins (genetics, metabolism, pharmacology)
• Neurodegenerative Diseases (physiopathology)
• Phosphoproteins
• Synucleins
• alpha-Synuclein