Open AccessLewy bodies
Author(s) -
Clifford W. Shults
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.0509567103
Subject(s) - substantia nigra , alpha synuclein , neuroscience , parkinson's disease , central nervous system , lewy body , alpha (finance) , chemistry , biology , disease , dopamine , medicine , pathology , dopaminergic , construct validity , nursing , patient satisfaction
Lewy bodies (LB) in the substantia nigra are a cardinal pathological feature of Parkinson's disease, but they occur in a number of neurodegenerative diseases and can be widespread in the nervous system. The characteristics, locations, and composition of LB are reviewed, with particular attention to α-synuclein (α-SYN), which appears to be the major component of LB. The propensity for α-SYN, a presynaptic protein widely expressed in the brain, to aggregate is because of an amyloidogenic central region. The factors that favor the aggregation of α-SYN and mechanisms of toxicity are examined, and a mechanism through which aggregates of α-SYN could induce mitochondrial dysfunction and/or release of proapoptotic molecules is proposed.