Low alpha-synuclein 126 mRNA levels in dementia with Lewy bodies and Alzheimer disease.
Alpha-synuclein, a main component of Lewy bodies in synucleinopathies and senile plaques in Alzheimer disease, is centrally involved in neurodegeneration. Three different isoforms (alpha-synuclein 112, 126, and 140) resulting from alternative splicing have been described so far. The present study explores alpha-synuclein 126 mRNA expression levels in the prefrontal cortex of six patients with dementia with Lewy bodies, eight patients with Lewy body variant of Alzheimer disease, eight patients with Alzheimer disease, and 10 controls. Relative alpha-synuclein 126 expression levels were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction with competimer technology. Alpha-synuclein 126 mRNA expression was markedly decreased in the three dementias in comparison with controls, suggesting an important role of this alpha-synuclein isoform in the normal brain.
Beyer
Katrin
K
Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Badalona, Spain. katrinbeyer@hotmail.com
Humbert
Jordi
J
Ferrer
Anna
A
Lao
José I
JI
Carrato
Cristina
C
López
Dolores
D
Ferrer
Isidro
I
Ariza
Aurelio
A
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D020961:Lewy Body Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000378:metabolism*; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D051844:alpha-Synuclein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D020033:Protein Isoforms; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051844:alpha-Synuclein