Linked Life Data

12590943

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/12590943

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
7
pubmed:dateCreated
2003-2-19
pubmed:abstractText
The pigmentation of substantia nigra pars compacta dopaminergic neurons is due to the presence of neuromelanin, an irregular macromolecular pigment belonging to the family of melanins. Depletion of neuromelanin in Parkinson's disease is typically indicated by loss of brown color in this area. Unlike that from controls, the pigment extracted from substantia nigra of parkinsonian patients seems to be mainly composed by highly cross-linked, protease-resistant proteic material and the neuromelanin macromolecule appears to be a minor presence. In the present paper we describe the isolation by SDS-PAGE of this proteic component after cleavage of the melanin backbone under solubilizing conditions. A single band is observed, which has been identified as alpha-synuclein by western blotting. As expected, the same process performed on a control specimen did not show occurrence of any major proteic component. Nevertheless, extraction from a 91 years old control with Lewy bodies displayed minor alpha-synuclein immunoreactive aggregates, whereas inclusion of free alpha-synuclein was not observed at all. Results reported here support the view that alpha-synuclein accumulates within substantia nigra neurons and is entrapped in pigment granules during neuromelanin biosynthesis, i.e. before the melanin depletion characteristic of Parkinson's disease starts.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Jun
pubmed:issn
0197-0186
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
42
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
603-6
pubmed:dateRevised
2005-11-17
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2003
pubmed:articleTitle
Residual substantia nigra neuromelanin in Parkinson's disease is cross-linked to alpha-synuclein.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Structural and Functional Biology, University of Insubria, Via Jean H. Dunant 3, I-21100 Varese, Italy. mauro.fasano@uninsubria.it
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article