Lysosomal degradation of alpha-synuclein in vivo.

ABSTRACT: Pathologic accumulation of alpha-synuclein is a feature of human parkinsonism and other neurodegenerative diseases. This accumulation may be counteracted by mechanisms of protein degradation that have been investigated in vitro but remain to be elucidated in animal models. In this study, lysosomal clearance of alpha-synuclein in vivo was indicated by the detection of alpha-synuclein in the lumen of lysosomes isolated from the mouse midbrain. When neuronal alpha-synuclein expression was enhanced as a result of toxic injury (i.e. treatment of mice with the herbicide paraquat) or transgenic protein overexpression, the intralysosomal content of alpha-synuclein was also significantly increased. This effect was paralleled by a marked elevation of the lysosome-associated membrane protein type 2A

SUBMITTER: Mak SK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2859524 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature