Properties of iron-induced alpha-synuclein oligomers determined on a single particle level

Formation of fibrillar protein aggregates is a key event in several neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson's disease, which is characterized by Lewy bodies and degeneration of dopaminergic neurons. Several lines of evidence implicate involvement of alpha-synuclein oligomers as the principal toxic aggregate species as well as iron ions in the disease progression in Parkinson's disease. Using three independent single particle-based methods we could recently analyze aggregation pathways and oligomer formation of alpha-synuclein. Biophysical and structural characterization was performed by confocal single mo…