In vivo analysis of prion-like conversion and transmission of alpha-Synuclein

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K19502
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Neurology
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science (2016-2017); Osaka University (2015)
• Principal Investigator: SUZUKI Mari 公益財団法人東京都医学総合研究所, 運動・感覚システム研究分野, 主任研究員 (20455405)
• Research Collaborator: NAGAI Yoshitaka 大阪大学, 大学院医学系研究科・神経難病認知症探索治療学寄附講座, 教授 ; SAKAI Ryusuke 大阪大学, 大学院医学系研究科・神経内科/神経難病認知症探索治療学寄附講座, 大学院生 ; OBA Masaki 公益財団法人東京都医学総合研究所, 運動・感覚システム研究分野, 研修生
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: パーキンソン病 / レビー小体型認知症 / αシヌクレイン / ショウジョウバエ / 脂質 / ライソソーム病

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In sporadic PD and DLB, normally harmless αSyn proteins without any mutations might gain toxic functions by unknown mechanisms. Thus, it is important to elucidate the factors promoting the toxic conversion of αSyn. This study is aimed to explore the lipids that promote αSyn prion-like toxic conversion by using in vitro biochemical assay and Drosophila model. We found that several lipids accelerate the conversion of αSyn, and that one of the lipids found in vitro assay promote the toxicity of αSyn in fly model of PD. In addition, we established novel αSyn brain-transmission model fly that enables to monitor αSyn transmission in vivo and could be used to explore the molecular mechanism of αSyn prion-like transmission.

Free Research Field

神経変性疾患