Alpha synuclein is present in Lewy bodies in sporadic Parkinson's disease.
A missense mutation in the human alpha synuclein gene was recently identified in some cases of familial Parkinson's disease (FPD). We have developed an antibody that recognizes the C-terminal 12 amino acids of the human alpha synuclein protein and have demonstrated that alpha synuclein is an abundant component of the Lewy bodies found within the degenerating neurons of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). The presence of alpha synuclein in Lewy bodies of sporadic PD patients suggests a central role for alpha synuclein in the pathogenesis of PD.
Mezey
E
E
Basic Neuroscience Program, National Institute of Neurological Disease and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-1430, USA.
Dehejia
A M
AM
Harta
G
G
Tresser
N
N
Suchy
S F
SF
Nussbaum
R L
RL
Brownstein
M J
MJ
Polymeropoulos
M H
MH
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000235:genetics; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D017931:DNA Primers; D003704:Dementia / Q000473:pathology; D005091:Exons; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016631:Lewy Bodies / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020125:Mutation, Missense; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D016501:Neurites / Q000473:pathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000032:analysis; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000473:pathology*; D051843:Synucleins; D051844:alpha-Synuclein
D017931:DNA Primers; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D010750:Phosphoproteins; C497604:SNCA protein, human; D051843:Synucleins; D051844:alpha-Synuclein