title: The role of alpha-synuclein in the development of the dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area.
abstract: Alpha-synuclein is a presynaptic protein of vertebrates that belongs to the family of synucleins. Normal functions of synucleins remain unknown. Alpha-synuclein is one of the causative factors of the familial and idiopathic forms of Parkinson's disease (PD). The progressive loss of dopaminergic (DA) neurons is characteristic of PD and the most severe damage occurs in the substantia nigra (SN). This leads to an erraticism of the synthesis and synaptic secretion of the neurotransmitters, subsequently resulting in the loss of the connections between brain areas. This work shows that alpha-synuclein is directly involved in the formation of the mature DA neurons of the midbrain at different stages of the ontogenesis and these findings are consistent with data obtained in other studies. Thus, alpha-synuclein may have a varying modulating effect on the growth dynamics and the fate of populations of DA neurons.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiologically Active Substances, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Moscow oblast, Russia. tarasovat189@gmail.ru.|Research Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, Moscow, Russia. tarasovat189@gmail.ru.
authors.forename: T V
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Tarasova
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiologically Active Substances, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Moscow oblast, Russia.
authors.forename: O A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Lytkina
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiologically Active Substances, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Moscow oblast, Russia.
authors.forename: A Yu
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Roman
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiologically Active Substances, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Moscow oblast, Russia.
authors.forename: S O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Bachurin
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiologically Active Substances, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Moscow oblast, Russia.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Ustyugov
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D059290:Dopaminergic Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D017557:Ventral Tegmental Area / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051844:alpha-Synuclein / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D051844:alpha-Synuclein; D004298:Dopamine