ABSTRACT
The synaptic protein, α-synuclein, has been associated with several neurodegenerative diseases known as α-synucleinopathies. Thus, elucidation of mechanisms leading to α-synuclein abnormalities is particularly important for understanding the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and related α-synucleinopathies. Many studies, in both cell culture models and animal models, have linked α-synuclein to the pathogenesis of PD. In this review, we critically review data linking α-synuclein to neurodegeneration in PD. We review several of the neurodegenerative diseases that are linked to accumulations of α-synuclein pathologies, the structure and proposed functions of the α-synuclein protein, and several theories concerning α-synuclein toxicity and degradation.
