Synphilin-1 associates with alpha-synuclein and promotes the formation of cytosolic inclusions.

Parkinson disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by tremor, bradykinesia, rigidity and postural instability. Post-mortem examination shows loss of neurons and Lewy bodies, which are cytoplasmic eosinophilic inclusions, in the substantia nigra and other brain regions. A few families have PD caused by mutations (A53T or A30P) in the ...
gene SNCA (encoding alpha-synuclein). Alpha-synuclein is present in Lewy bodies of patients with sporadic PD, suggesting that alpha-synuclein may be involved in the pathogenesis of PD. It is unknown how alpha-synuclein contributes to the cellular and biochemical mechanisms of PD, and its normal functions and biochemical properties are poorly understood. To determine the protein-interaction partners of alpha-synuclein, we performed a yeast two-hybrid screen. We identified a novel interacting protein, which we term synphilin-1 (encoded by the gene SNCAIP). We found that alpha-synuclein interacts in vivo with synphilin-1 in neurons. Co-transfection of both proteins (but not control proteins) in HEK 293 cells yields cytoplasmic eosinophilic inclusions.
Mesh Terms:
Amino Acid Sequence, Animals, Brain Chemistry, Carrier Proteins, Cell Line, Chromosomes, Human, Pair 5, Female, Humans, Inclusion Bodies, Lewy Bodies, Male, Molecular Sequence Data, Nerve Tissue Proteins, Parkinson Disease, Plasmids, Protein Binding, RNA, Messenger, Rats, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Sequence Homology, Amino Acid, Synucleins, Tissue Distribution, Tissue Extracts, Transfection, alpha-Synuclein
Nat. Genet.
Date: May. 01, 1999
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