title: The Lewy body in Parkinson's disease: molecules implicated in the formation and degradation of alpha-synuclein aggregates.
abstract: The histological hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD) is the presence of fibrillar aggregates called Lewy bodies (LBs). LB formation has been considered to be a marker for neuronal degeneration, because neuronal loss is found in the predilection sites for LBs. To date, more than 70 molecules have been identified in LBs, in which alpha-synuclein is a major constituent of LB fibrils. Alpha-synuclein immunohistochemistry reveals that diffuse cytoplasmic staining develops into pale bodies via compaction, and that LBs arise from the peripheral portion of pale bodies. This alpha-synuclein abnormality is found in 10% of pigmented neurons in the substantia nigra and more than 50% of those in the locus ceruleus in PD. Recent studies have suggested that oligomers and protofibrils of alpha-synuclein are cytotoxic, and that LBs may represent a cytoprotective mechanism in PD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropathology, Institute of Brain Science, Hirosaki University School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan. koichi@cc.hirosaki-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wakabayashi
authors.forename: Kunikazu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanji
authors.forename: Fumiaki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
mesh_terms: D001933:Brain Stem / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004798:Enzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D016631:Lewy Bodies / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D051844:alpha-Synuclein / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004798:Enzymes; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D051844:alpha-Synuclein