%0 Journal Article
%T Endogenous Levels of Alpha-Synuclein Modulate Seeding and Aggregation in Cultured Cells
%V 59
%N 2
%P 1273-1284
%U https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12035-021-02713-2
%X Abstract
            Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the accumulation of misfolded alpha-synuclein in intraneuronal inclusions known as Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites. Multiple studies strongly implicate the levels of alpha-synuclein as a major risk factor for the onset and progression of Parkinson’s disease. Alpha-synuclein pathology spreads progressively throughout interconnected brain regions but the precise molecular mechanisms underlying the seeding of alpha-synuclein aggregation are still unclear. Here, using stable cell lines expressing alpha-synuclein, we examined the correlation between endogenous alpha-synuclein levels and the seeding propensity by exogenous alpha-synuclein preformed fibrils. We applied biochemical approaches and imaging methods in stable cell lines expressing alpha-synuclein and in primary neurons to determine the impact of alpha-synuclein levels on seeding and aggregation. Our results indicate that the levels of alpha-synuclein define the pattern and severity of aggregation and the extent of p-alpha-synuclein deposition, likely explaining the selective vulnerability of different cell types in synucleinopathies. The elucidation of the cellular processes involved in the pathological aggregation of alpha-synuclein will enable the identification of novel targets and the development of therapeutic strategies for Parkinson’s disease and other synucleinopathies.
%G en
%J Molecular Neurobiology
%A Vasili, Eftychia
%A Dominguez-Meijide, Antonio
%A Flores-León, Manuel
%A Al-Azzani, Mohammed
%A Kanellidi, Angeliki
%A Melki, Ronald
%A Stefanis, Leonidas
%A Outeiro, Tiago Fleming
%D 02/2022
%K peer-reviewed