title: Synuclein: a neuron-specific protein localized to the nucleus and presynaptic nerve terminal.
abstract: We used an antiserum against purified cholinergic synaptic vesicles from Torpedo and expression screening to isolate a cDNA clone encoding synuclein, a 143 amino acid neuron-specific protein. A cDNA clone was also isolated from a rat brain cDNA library that encodes a highly homologous 140 amino acid protein. The amino terminal 100 amino acids of both proteins are comprised of an 11 amino acid repeating unit that contains a conserved core of 6 residues. The synuclein gene is expressed only in nervous system tissue, not in electric organ, muscle, liver, spleen, heart, or kidney. In the electric organ synapse Torpedo synuclein-immunoreactive proteins are found in 3 major molecular-weight classes of 17.5, 18.5, and 20.0 kDa. In the neuronal cell soma the 17.5 kDa species is predominant and immunoreactivity is localized to a portion of the nuclear envelope.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, California 94305.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Maroteaux
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Campanelli
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Scheller
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009411:Nerve Endings / Q000378:metabolism*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009420:Nervous System / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D013569:Synapses / Q000378:metabolism*; D051843:Synucleins; D014101:Torpedo
chemical_list: D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D051843:Synucleins