Research has been carried out that gives scientists a much better understanding about a protein called alpha-synuclein that is closely connected to Parkinson’s Disease. This disease has been classified by scientists as a protein misfolding disease as is characterized by certain proteins becoming distorted and not working properly. However, the new study that has been carried out by a collaboration of researchers at the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London shows that this protein is vital for the regulation of the flow of synaptic vesicles in order to maintain effective signaling within the brain.
As part of the research, scientists tested mutated versions of the alpha-synuclein that are found to be linked to Parkinson’s disease and found that these proteins impair the flow of the vesicles and as a result compromise the signals between the neurons. One of the researchers taking part in the study was Giuliana Fusco who is a chemistry Ph.D. student at St. John’s College, University of Cambridge. She commented, “It was already clear that alpha-synuclein plays some sort of role in regulating the flow of synaptic vesicles at the synapse, but our study presents the mechanism, explaining exactly how it does it. Because we have shown that mutated forms of alpha-synuclein, which are associated with the early onset familial forms of Parkinson’s disease, affect this process, we also now know that this is a function that may be impaired in people who carry these mutations.”
But, it is still early days, and the researchers are not jumping to any conclusions about Parkinson’s as there is still so much about the disease that is unknown, but it’s still an important step in the right direction. During the study, the researchers used nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to examine how the protein arranged itself in relation to the vesicles. They noted how signals pass through the brain using neurotransmitters that are carried within the synaptic vesicles. At times of signaling, some vesicles moved to the surface of the synapse, fusing with the membrane and releasing neurotransmitters across the connection.
The alpha-synuclein plays an important part in this process of regulation as two different regions of the protein have membrane-binding properties allowing it to attach to some vesicles to hold them in place while releasing others at the same time. The research suggests that this marshalling role of the protein becomes compromised in patients with Parkinson’s. With the disease, there is an abundance of alpha-synuclein in the brain, and it’s possible that because of this too much binding is happening, obstructing the flow of vesicles and preventing effective neurotransmitting. However, further research will need to be done to confirm this, but researchers are hopeful that this is just the beginning of getting some important answers about Parkinson’s.
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