title: The Lewy body in Parkinson's disease and related neurodegenerative disorders.
abstract: The histopathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD) is the presence of fibrillar aggregates referred to as Lewy bodies (LBs), in which α-synuclein is a major constituent. Pale bodies, the precursors of LBs, may serve the material for that LBs continue to expand. LBs consist of a heterogeneous mixture of more than 90 molecules, including PD-linked gene products (α-synuclein, DJ-1, LRRK2, parkin, and PINK-1), mitochondria-related proteins, and molecules implicated in the ubiquitin-proteasome system, autophagy, and aggresome formation. LB formation has been considered to be a marker for neuronal degeneration because neuronal loss is found in the predilection sites for LBs. However, recent studies have indicated that nonfibrillar α-synuclein is cytotoxic and that fibrillar aggregates of α-synuclein (LBs and pale bodies) may represent a cytoprotective mechanism in PD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropathology, Institute of Brain Science, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, 5 Zaifu-cho, Hirosaki 036-8562, 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: Saori
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Odagiri
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miki
authors.forename: Fumiaki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D016631:Lewy Bodies / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology; D020961:Lewy Body Disease / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D051844:alpha-Synuclein / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D051844:alpha-Synuclein