ABSTRACT
Human α-synuclein is the causative protein of several neurodegenerative diseases, designated as synucleinopathies, such as Parkinson’s disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) (Recchia et al. 2004). α-Synuclein is a natively unfolded protein of unknown function that is highly expressed in the neurons of the central nervous system. α-Synuclein’s causative role in PD pathogenesis is strongly supported by the fact that it is the major fi brillar protein component of Lewy Bodies (LBs) in both sporadic and familial PD. It is also supported by the fact that three different α-synuclein missense mutations (A30P, A53T, and E46K) as well as the duplication and triplication of its locus cause autosomal-dominant PD (Polymeropoulos et al. 1997; Kruger et al. 1998; Singleton et al. 2003; Chartier-Harlin et al. 2004; Zarranz et al. 2004).
