Properties of NACP/α-synuclein and its role in Alzheimer’s disease

• Published in: BBA - Molecular Basis of Disease Vol. 1502; no. 1; pp. 95 - 109
• Main Author: Iwai, Akihiko
• Format: Book Review Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 26.07.2000
• Subjects: alpha-Synuclein; Alzheimer Disease - genetics; Alzheimer Disease - metabolism; Alzheimer Disease - pathology; Alzheimer’s disease; Amino Acid Sequence; Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor - analysis; Animals; Brain - metabolism; Brain Chemistry; Cerebral Cortex - chemistry; Cerebral Cortex - pathology; gamma-Synuclein; Humans; Lewy body; Molecular Sequence Data; Mutation; Nerve Tissue Proteins - analysis; Nerve Tissue Proteins - genetics; Nerve Tissue Proteins - metabolism; Non-Aβ component of Alzheimer’s disease amyloid; Parkinson Disease - genetics; Parkinson’s disease; Plaque, Amyloid - chemistry; Sequence Alignment; Synapse; Synapses - chemistry; Synuclein; Synucleins; Aβ, amyloid β/A4 protein; PNP-14, phosphoneuroprotein 14; NAC, non-Aβ component of Alzheimer’s disease amyloid; Synapse; Alzheimer’s disease; NACP, NAC precursor; Synuclein; Non-Aβ component of Alzheimer’s disease amyloid; Parkinson’s disease; ApoE, apolipoprotein E; Lewy body; APP, Aβ precursor protein
• ISSN: 0925-4439; 0006-3002; 1879-260X
• DOI: 10.1016/S0925-4439(00)00036-3

The precursor of the non-amyloid β/A4 protein (non-Aβ) component of Alzheimer’s disease amyloid (NACP)/α-synuclein is the human homologue of α-synuclein, a member of a protein family which includes α-, β- and γ-synuclein. This protein is thought to be involved in neuronal plasticity because of its unique expression, mainly in the telencephalon during maturation. Consequently, disarrangement of NACP/α-synuclein might disrupt synaptic activity, resulting in memory disturbance. Previous studies have shown that damage to synaptic terminals is closely associated with global cognitive impairment and is an early event in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. Although the relationship between synaptic damage and amyloidogenesis is not clear, some proteins at the synaptic site have been implicated in both neuronal alteration and amyloid formation. Indeed, abnormal accumulation of both NACP/α-synuclein and Aβ precursor protein occurs at synapses of Alzheimer’s patients. Other evidence suggests that NACP/α-synuclein is a component of the Lewy bodies found in patients with Parkinson’s disease or dementia with Lewy bodies, and that a point mutation in this protein may be the cause of familial Parkinson’s disease. Consequently, abnormal transport, metabolism or function of NACP/α-synuclein appears to impair synaptic function, which induces, at least in part, neuronal degeneration in several neurodegenerative diseases.