Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 24, 2026
10:03
Studying Pre-formed Fibril Induced α-Synuclein Accumulation in Primary Embryonic Mouse Midbrain Dopamine Neurons
Published on: August 16, 2020
Phosphorylated α-synuclein in Parkinson's disease
Yu Wang1, Min Shi, Kathryn A Chung
1Department of Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98104, USA.
Science Translational Medicine
|February 21, 2012
Summary
Researchers measured phosphorylated α-synuclein (PS-129) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to aid Parkinson's disease (PD) diagnosis. PS-129 levels, combined with total α-synuclein, helped differentiate PD from other parkinsonian disorders.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biochemistry
- Clinical Diagnostics
Background:
- Phosphorylated α-synuclein (PS-129) is implicated in Parkinson's disease (PD) pathogenesis.
- Measuring biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is crucial for neurodegenerative disease diagnosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish and validate a sensitive assay for measuring PS-129 in human CSF.
- To investigate the utility of CSF PS-129 and total α-synuclein in distinguishing PD from other parkinsonian disorders.
Main Methods:
- Mass spectrometry was used to identify PS-129 in human CSF.
- A sensitive and specific assay was developed to quantify PS-129 and total α-synuclein.
- CSF samples from approximately 600 individuals (PD patients, MSA/PSP patients, healthy controls) were analyzed.
Main Results:
- CSF PS-129 concentrations showed a weak correlation with PD severity.
- Combined measurements of PS-129 and total α-synuclein in CSF aided in differentiating PD from multiple system atrophy (MSA) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP).
Conclusions:
- CSF PS-129 may serve as a potential biomarker for PD.
- Further validation in longitudinal cohorts is necessary to confirm its diagnostic and prognostic value for Parkinson's disease.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:24Parkinson Disease ll: Pathophysiology
Parkinson disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder primarily affecting movement, with additional non-motor features. Its pathophysiology involves complex interactions among genetic susceptibility, environmental exposures, and cellular dysfunction, including dopaminergic neuron loss, protein aggregation, and mitochondrial impairment.Selective NeurodegenerationA key feature is the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta, leading to reduced...
01:24Parkinson Disease l: Introduction
Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, progressive neurodegenerative disorder that primarily affects movement. It is characterized by motor symptoms such as resting tremors, muscle rigidity, bradykinesia (slowness of movement), and postural instability. Patients may notice hand tremors at rest, stiffness during movement, or a shuffling gait. In addition to motor features, non-motor symptoms include sleep disturbances, mood and behavioral changes, constipation, and cognitive impairment, all of which...
01:37Neural Regulation
Digestion begins with a cephalic phase that prepares the digestive system to receive food. When our brain processes visual or olfactory information about food, it triggers impulses in the cranial nerves innervating the salivary glands and stomach to prepare for food.
01:15Parkinson's Disease: Overview
Neurodegenerative disorders are progressive diseases that cause irreversible damage and loss to neurons in specific brain areas. Examples of these disorders include Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). These disorders share characteristics such as proteinopathies, selective neuronal vulnerability, and a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors. The primary therapeutic goal for these conditions is to...
01:02Phosphorylation
The addition or removal of phosphate groups from proteins is the most common chemical modification that regulates cellular processes. These modifications can affect the structure, activity, stability, and localization of proteins within cells as well as their interactions with other proteins.
During phosphorylation, protein kinases transfer the terminal phosphate group of ATP to specific amino acid side chains of substrate proteins. Serine, threonine, and tyrosine are the most commonly...
During phosphorylation, protein kinases transfer the terminal phosphate group of ATP to specific amino acid side chains of substrate proteins. Serine, threonine, and tyrosine are the most commonly...
01:23Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology
Alzheimer disease involves structural changes in the brain that begin long before symptoms appear. The most distinctive features are extracellular neuritic plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles.Neuritic plaques form in the cerebral cortex and around blood vessels. These plaques contain a dense core of beta-amyloid (Aβ)—a toxic protein fragment that clumps outside neurons. The core is surrounded by damaged neuronal extensions, as well as reactive astrocytes and microglia. Abnormal...