ß-synuclein aggregates and induces neurodegeneration in dopaminergic neurons.

Objective: While the contribution of α-Synuclein to neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease is well accepted, the putative impact of its close homologue, β-Synuclein, is enigmatic. β-Synuclein is widely expressed throughout the central nervous system as is α-Synuclein, but the physiological functions of both proteins remain unknown. Recent findings supported the view that β-Synuclein can act as an ameliorating regulator of α-Synuclein-induced neurotoxicity, having neuroprotective rather than neurodegenerative capabilities, and being non-aggregating due to absence of most part of the aggregation-promoting NAC domain. However, a mutation of β-Synuclein linked to dementia with Lewy bodies rendered the protein neurotoxic in transgenic mice and fibrillation of β-Synuclein has been demonstrated in vitro. Methods / Results: Supporting the hypothesis that β-Synuclein can act as a neurodegeneration-inducing factor we now demonstrate that wild-type β-Synuclein is neurotoxic for cultured primary neurons. Furthermore, β-Synuclein formed proteinase K resistant aggregates in dopaminergic neurons in vivo, leading to pronounced and progressive neurodegeneration in rats. Expression of β-Synuclein caused mitochondrial fragmentation, but this fragmentation did not render mitochondria non-functional in terms of ion handling and respiration even in late stages of neurodegeneration. A comparison of the neurodegenerative effects induced by α-, β-, and γ-Synuclein revealed that β-Synuclein was eventually as neurotoxic as α-Synuclein for nigral dopaminergic neurons, while γ-Synuclein proved to be non-toxic and had very low aggregation propensity. Interpretation: Our results suggest that the role of β-Synuclein as a putative modulator of neuropathology in aggregopathies like Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies needs to be revisited. ANN NEUROL 2013. © 2013 American Neurological Association.

PMID: 23536356 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]