Affiliations: [a] Department of Pathology, The University of Melbourne, and The Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria, Parkville, Vic 3010, Australia | [b] Department of Neurology, Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park, SA 5042 Australia | [c] Department of Physiology and Medicine and Centre for Neuroscience, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042 Australia | [d] Melbourne Neuromuscular Research Institute, St Vincent's Hospital, Fitzroy, Vic 3065 Australia | [e] Center for Molecular Biology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, D-6910 Germany
Correspondence:
[*]
Corresponding author: Qiao-Xin Li, Department of Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic 3010, Australia. Tel.: +61 3 8344 5878; Fax: +61 3 8344 4004; E-mail: [email protected].
Note: [] Communicated by Ralph Martins
Abstract: α-Synuclein (αSN) has been implicated in Parkinson's Disease (PD) and αSN is a major component of Lewy bodies (LBs). This study explored platelets as a model system for study of αSN metabolism and platelet αSN as a diagnostic marker for PD. We used Western blot analysis to characterize and compare platelet and brain α-, β- and γSN; and to quantitate αSN levels in platelets from PD and age-matched controls. We found that platelets contain full-length αSN and 6 and 12 kDa fragments, and γSN-like protein. αSN and γSN were not secreted by thrombin-activated platelets. Furthermore, we also found that the αSN and γSN levels in sporadic PD patients and age-matched normal controls were not significantly different. This indicates that platelet αSN or γSN is not a suitable peripheral diagnostic marker for PD. Platelets may be used for study of αSN and γSN metabolism, and may give some broad insight into the normal functions of αSN and γSN.
