Coordination and redox properties of copper interaction with α-synuclein
Daniela Valensin1, Simone Dell'Acqua2, Henryk Kozlowski3
1Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Via A. Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy.
Abstract:
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a severe neurodegenerative disorder affecting movements. After Alzheimer's disease, it is the most common form of neurodegeneration. PD is characterized by the loss of neurons producing dopamine and by the presence of protein aggregates in the brain, known as Lewy bodies. The main constituent of Lewy bodies is the misfolded form of α-synuclein (αSyn), able to form oligomers and fibrils. In addition to protein aggregation, brain damage induced by oxidative stress, is also a frequent phenomenon in PD. αSyn is able to bind Copper ions in both Cu(II) and Cu(I) oxidation states. The metal binding is also maintained when αSyn interacts with membranes. Interestingly, copper binding to αSyn has strong impact either in protein misfolding or in free radical formation, such to provide a link between protein aggregation and oxidative damage. In this review the role of copper and αSyn in PD is discussed with a particular emphasis to elucidate (i) the interaction between copper and αSyn; (ii) the reactivity and (iii) potential toxicity associated with copper-αSyn complexes.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Colors and Magnetism
When atoms or molecules absorb light at the proper frequency, their electrons are excited to higher-energy orbitals. For many main group atoms and molecules, the absorbed photons are in the ultraviolet range of the electromagnetic spectrum, which cannot be detected by the human eye. For coordination compounds, the energy difference between the d orbitals often allows photons in the visible range to be absorbed and emitted, which is seen as colors by the human...
Coordination Number and Geometry
Metal-Ligand Bonds
In these complexes, transition metals form coordinate covalent bonds, a kind of Lewis acid-base interaction in which both of the electrons in the bond are contributed by a donor (Lewis base) to an electron acceptor (Lewis acid). The Lewis acid in...
Extraction: Advanced Methods
Formation of Complex Ions
EDTA: Chemistry and Properties


