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. 2006 Feb 7;103(6):1661-8.
doi: 10.1073/pnas.0509567103. Epub 2006 Jan 31.

Lewy bodies

Clifford W Shults  1
Affiliations

Lewy bodies

Clifford W Shults. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. .

Abstract

Lewy bodies (LB) in the substantia nigra are a cardinal pathological feature of Parkinson's disease, but they occur in a number of neurodegenerative diseases and can be widespread in the nervous system. The characteristics, locations, and composition of LB are reviewed, with particular attention to alpha-synuclein (alpha-SYN), which appears to be the major component of LB. The propensity for alpha-SYN, a presynaptic protein widely expressed in the brain, to aggregate is because of an amyloidogenic central region. The factors that favor the aggregation of alpha-SYN and mechanisms of toxicity are examined, and a mechanism through which aggregates of alpha-SYN could induce mitochondrial dysfunction and/or release of proapoptotic molecules is proposed.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest statement: No conflicts declared.

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