title: Antiapoptotic property of human alpha-synuclein in neuronal cell lines is associated with the inhibition of caspase-3 but not caspase-9 activity.
abstract: Abnormalities of alpha-synuclein (alpha-Syn) are mechanistically linked to Parkinson's disease (PD) and other alpha-synucleinopathies. To gain additional insights into the relationships between alpha-Syn expression and cell death, we examined the effects of expressing human alpha-Syn (Hualpha-Syn) variants on the cellular vulnerability to apoptotic stimuli. We show that the expression of wild-type (WT) and A30P mutant, but not A53T mutant, Hualpha-Syn leads to the protection of neuronal cell lines from apoptosis but not necrosis. Significantly, Hualpha-Syn did not protect non-neuronal cell lines from apoptosis. We also show that A53T mutant is a loss of function in regards to the antiapoptotic property since the expression of WT Hualpha-Syn with an excess of A53T mutant Hualpha-Syn leads to protection of the cells from apoptosis. The antiapoptotic property is specific to human alpha-Syn as neither beta-Syn nor mouse alpha-Syn protected cells from apoptosis, and the carboxy-terminal 20 amino acids are required for the antiapoptotic property. Analyses of capase-3 and caspase-9 activation reveal that the antiapoptotic property of Hualpha-Syn in neuronal cell lines is associated with the attenuation of caspase-3 activity without affecting the caspase-9 activity or the levels of cleaved, active caspase-3. We conclude that Hualpha-Syn modulates the activity of cleaved caspase-3 product in neuronal cell lines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.
authors.forename: Wenxue
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Michael K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D053148:Caspase 3; D053453:Caspase 9; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000201:enzymology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000378:metabolism; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D013045:Species Specificity; D051843:Synucleins; D051844:alpha-Synuclein
chemical_list: D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D020033:Protein Isoforms; C497604:SNCA protein, human; C497605:Snca protein, mouse; D051843:Synucleins; D051844:alpha-Synuclein; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; C506433:CASP9 protein, human; C505409:Casp3 protein, mouse; C506434:Casp9 protein, mouse; D053148:Caspase 3; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases