The interaction between calcineurin and α-synuclein is regulated by calcium and calmodulin

Calcineurin (CN) is a protein phosphatase and widely distributed in eukaryotes, with an extremely high level of expression in mammalian brain. Alpha-synuclein (α-syn) is a small soluble protein expressed primarily at presynaptic terminals in the central nervous system. In our present study, we explored the interactions between CN and α-syn in vitro. Based on the data from microscale thermophoresis, GST pull-down assays, and co-immunoprecipitation, we found that CN binds α-syn. Furthermore, this interaction is mediated by calcium/calmodulin (Ca²⁺/CaM) signaling. Additionally, thapsigargin (TG) triggered an increase in CN activity and α-syn aggregation in HEK293 cells stably transfected with α-syn. Our previous study in vivo suggest that overexpression of α-syn in transgenic mice significantly promoted CN activity and subsequent nuclear translocation of nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT) in the midbrain dopaminergic (mDA) neurons. These in vivo and in vitro studies have been complementary with each other, representing the changes in the CN-dependent pathway affected by overexpression of α-syn.