title: Immunoelectron-microscopic demonstration of NACP/alpha-synuclein-epitopes on the filamentous component of Lewy bodies in Parkinson's disease and in dementia with Lewy bodies.
abstract: We examined brains from Parkinson's disease and from dementia with Lewy bodies (LBs) by using antibodies to NACP/alpha-synuclein. Immunohistochemically, all of the antibodies against the amino-terminal region, NAC domain, and carboxyl-terminal region of NACP labeled not only LBs, pale bodies (PBs), and dystrophic neurites, but also fine thread-like structures in the neuronal perikarya (perikaryal threads) in the hypothalamus and brainstem nuclei. On electron microscopy, immunoreactive products were found to label the 9 to 12 nm-thick filamentous component (LB-filaments) of LBs, PBs, and perikaryal threads. The NACP-immunoreactive perikaryal threads, consisting of small bundles of LB-filaments and randomly oriented LB-filaments, presumably represent an initial stage of LB- or PB-formation. The present study indicates that the entire molecule of NACP is involved in the neuronal filament-aggregating processes of LB disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrastructure and Histochemistry, Tokyo Institute of Psychiatry, 2-1-8 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8585, Japan. arima@prit.go.jp
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Arima
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uéda
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sunohara
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hirai
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Izumiyama
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tonozuka-Uehara
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawai
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003704:Dementia / Q000473:pathology*; D000939:Epitopes / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016631:Lewy Bodies / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016253:Microscopy, Immunoelectron; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D016501:Neurites / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000032:analysis; D051843:Synucleins
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D051843:Synucleins