Effect of protease cleavage on de novo aggregation of alpha-synuclein

The main signs of Parkinson's disease (PD) result from a loss of dopaminergic cells in the substantia nigra. Intracellular inclusions consisting of aggregated alpha-synuclein are the pathological hallmark of PD, but also of other neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and multiple systemic atrophy (MSA). Although the pathogenesis of PD is still unknown, there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that alpha-synuclein aggregates play a key role in cell death and neurodegeneration. Immunohistochemical studies indicate that specific alpha-synuclein aggregates (Lewy bodies) also contai…