Lack of alpha-synuclein does not alter apoptosis of neonatal catecholaminergic neurons.
alpha-Synuclein is an abundant neuronal protein of uncertain function linked to Parkinson's disease. Numerous studies have proposed an antiapoptotic function for alpha-synuclein, based on overexpression experiments in cell lines. To explore whether alpha-synuclein has such a physiological function, we assessed the response of wild type or alpha-synuclein null neonatal mouse sympathetic neurons to nerve growth factor deprivation, a well-characterized stimulus of neuronal apoptosis. There was no difference in the rate of neuronal loss, neuronal apoptosis, or c-jun phosphorylation. Furthermore, the absence of alpha-synuclein did not alter the magnitude of naturally occurring cell death in vivo in substantia nigra pars compacta. Therefore, alpha-synuclein is unlikely to play a significant role in apoptotic signalling in catecholaminergic neurons of the neonatal nervous system.
Stefanis
Leonidas
L
Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA. ls76@columbia.edu
Wang
Qiaohong
Q
Oo
Tinmarla
T
Lang-Rollin
Isabelle
I
Burke
Robert E
RE
Dauer
William T
WT
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D016501:Neurites / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000503:physiopathology; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D051843:Synucleins; D051844:alpha-Synuclein
D017931:DNA Primers; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; C497605:Snca protein, mouse; D051843:Synucleins; D051844:alpha-Synuclein