Description
The pre-synaptic protein -synuclein is a key player in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. Together with accumulation and missfolding of -synuclein protofibrils serve as seed structures for the aggregation of numerous proteins in the cytoplasm of neuronal cells, the so-called Lewy bodies. Furthermore, missense mutations in the SNCA gene and gene multiplications lead to autosomal dominant forms of familiar PD. However, so far the exact biological role of -synuclein in normal brain is elusive. To gain more insights into the biological function of this protein we monitored whole genome expression changes in dopaminergic neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y) caused by a 90% reduction of -synuclein by RNA interference.