Transfected synphilin-1 forms cytoplasmic inclusions in HEK293 cells

Casey O'Farrell, Diane D. Murphy, Leonard Petrucelli, Andrew B. Singleton, Jennifer Hussey, Matt Farrer, John Hardy, Dennis W. Dickson, Mark R. Cookson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

59 Scopus citations

Abstract

The discovery of mutations in the gene for α-synuclein in familial Parkinson's disease (PD) has led to an increased interest in this pre-synaptic protein. Synphilin-1, a potential synuclein-binding protein, was cloned using yeast two-hybrid assays. The function of synphilin-1 is currently unknown, although it has been reported to be present along with α-synuclein in Lewy bodies in PD. In the present study, we monitored synphilin-1 aggregation directly using fusion proteins of synphilin-1 and green fluorescent protein (EGFP). Transfection of synphilin-EGFP fusion proteins formed cytoplasmic inclusions in HEK293 cells. Although these inclusions overlapped with the distribution of α-synuclein, they were unlike Lewy bodies in that they were not eosinophilic, and instead were membrane-bound, lipid-rich cytoplasmic inclusions.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)94-102
Number of pages9
JournalMolecular Brain Research
Volume97
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 16 2001

Keywords

  • Green fluorescent protein
  • Parkinson's disease
  • Protein-protein interaction
  • Synuclein

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience

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