Kinetic stabilization of the α-synuclein protofibril by a dopamine-α-synuclein adduct

KA Conway, JC Rochet, RM Bieganski, PT Lansbury Jr - Science, 2001 - science.org
KA Conway, JC Rochet, RM Bieganski, PT Lansbury Jr
Science, 2001science.org
The substantia nigra in Parkinson's disease (PD) is depleted of dopaminergic neurons and
contains fibrillar Lewy bodies comprising primarily α-synuclein. We screened a library to
identify drug-like molecules to probe the relation between neurodegeneration and α-
synuclein fibrilization. All but one of 15 fibril inhibitors were catecholamines related to
dopamine. The inhibitory activity of dopamine depended on its oxidative ligation to α-
synuclein and was selective for the protofibril-to-fibril conversion, causing accumulation of …
The substantia nigra in Parkinson's disease (PD) is depleted of dopaminergic neurons and contains fibrillar Lewy bodies comprising primarily α-synuclein. We screened a library to identify drug-like molecules to probe the relation between neurodegeneration and α-synuclein fibrilization. All but one of 15 fibril inhibitors were catecholamines related to dopamine. The inhibitory activity of dopamine depended on its oxidative ligation to α-synuclein and was selective for the protofibril-to-fibril conversion, causing accumulation of the α-synuclein protofibril. Adduct formation provides an explanation for the dopaminergic selectivity of α-synuclein–associated neurotoxicity in PD and has implications for current and future PD therapeutic and diagnostic strategies.
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