Catalog Number:

RA18021

Product Type:

Affinity Purified

Immunogen Sequence:

Peptide derived from the carboxyterminal
sequence of human alphasynuclein.

Host:

Rabbit

Reactivity:

Human, rat, mouse

Applications:

Immunoprecipitation, Western Blot

Description:

Alpha-synuclein belongs to a family of structurally related proteins that are prominently expressed in the central nervous system. It has been linked both to normal synaptic function and to neurodegeneration. Most significantly, mutations in the gene encoding for alpha-synuclein are responsible for Parkinson's disease (PD) in rare familial cases, and the aggregated protein is a major component of Lewy bodies found in sporadic PD. While the function of alpha-synuclein is not entirely elucidated, one function appears to be as a normal regulatory protein that can bind to and inhibit tyrosine hydroxylase, the rate-limiting enzyme in dopamine synthesis. Soluble alpha-synuclein levels may be diminished in Parkinson's disease substantia nigra dopamine neurons both by reduced expression and by alpha-synuclein aggregation as Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites form. The loss of functional alpha-synuclein may then result in dysregulation of tyrosine hydroxylase, dopamine transport and dopamine storage, resulting in excess cytosolic dopamine. Because dopamine and its metabolites are reactive molecules capable of generating highly reactive quinones and reactive oxygen species, a failure to package dopamine into vesicles could cause irreversible damage to cellular macromolecules and contribute to resultant neurotoxicity.

Reference:

Vekrellis K, Rideout HJ, Stefanis L. Neurobiology of alpha-synuclein Mol Neurobiol. 2004 Aug;30(1):1-21

Perez RG, and Hastings TG: Could a loss of alpha-synuclein function put dopaminergic neurons at risk? J Neurochem. 2004 Jun;89(6):1318-24