Parkinson’s Disease & α-Synuclein

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the 2^nd most common neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by a preferential loss of the dopaminergic neurons (DA) of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). Although the etiology of PD is unknown, major cellular processes such as oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction are often associated with PD onset. 

DA neurons are among the most hard-working neurons in the brain, and thus we hypothesized that mitochondrial malfunction (due to their exhaustion) is a major catalyzer of PD. PD is also associated with the accumulation/aggregation of α-Synuclein (α-Syn). However, until today, the exact function of α-Syn, how it triggers PD, and its connection to mitochondrial function/malfunction remain largely unknown. Using cross-linking approaches we are now in the process of trying to identify new partners of α-Syn that will hopefully give us clues to its basic function in cells, and what goes wrong at the early stages of PD.