Alpha-synuclein accumulates in Lewy bodies in Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies but not in Alzheimer's disease beta-amyloid plaque cores.
A growing body of evidence suggests that the non-Abeta component of Alzheimer's disease amyloid precursor protein (NACP) or alpha-synuclein contributes to the neurodegenerative processes in Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). In the present study antisera to the N terminus and the NAC domain of the alpha-synuclein protein were employed to elucidate the expression pattern in brains of patients with AD, PD, DLB and control specimen. Alpha-synuclein exhibited an overall punctuate expression profile compatible with a synaptic function. Interestingly, while Lewy bodies were strongly immunoreactive, none of the alpha-synuclein antisera revealed staining in mature beta-amyloid plaques in AD. These observations suggest that alpha-synuclein does not contribute to late neurodegenerative processes in AD brains.
Bayer
T A
TA
Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn Medical Center, Germany. bayer@uni-bonn.de
Jäkälä
P
P
Hartmann
T
T
Havas
L
L
McLean
C
C
Culvenor
J G
JG
Li
Q X
QX
Masters
C L
CL
Falkai
P
P
Beyreuther
K
K
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016631:Lewy Bodies / Q000378:metabolism*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D058225:Plaque, Amyloid / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D051843:Synucleins; D051844:alpha-Synuclein
D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C497604:SNCA protein, human; D051843:Synucleins; D051844:alpha-Synuclein