Uses
Rabbit polyclonal anti-α-Synuclein antibody is used to tag α-Synuclein for detection and quantitation by immunocytochemical and immunohistochemical (IHC) techniques, such as immunoblotting. It is also used as a probe to determine the presence and roles of α-Synuclein in plaques of Alzheimer′s disease (AD) brains.
General Description
The synucleins are a family of soluble presynaptic proteins that are abundant in neurons and include α-synuclein, β-synuclein, and γ-synuclein. Human α-synuclein (also known as the non-amyloid component of plaques precursor protein or NACP) is a 140-amino acid polypeptide that is encoded by a gene on chromosome 4. It was originally isolated from plaques of Alzheimer′s disease (AD) brains as a 19 kDa protein precursor of the highly hydrophobic 35-amino acid peptide, nonamyloid component (NAC) of plaques. The NAC can self-aggregate into fibrils and induce aggregation of the β-amyloid peptide. α-Synuclein is highly abundant in presynaptic terminals, and is a major component of Lewy bodies (LBs). Pathogenic point mutations in the α-synuclein gene are linked to familial Parkinson′s disease (PD) in rare kindreds. However, most neurodegenerative disorders with LBs are associated with abnormal accumulation of wild-type, α-synuclein. α-Synuclein is expressed primarily in brain, but is also expressed in low levels in all tissues examined except liver.
Biological Activity
Synuclein alpha (SNCA) aids brain fatty acid metabolism, dopamine biosynthesis, dopamine transporter modulation, chaperone activity and regulation of inflammatory response. The protein inhibits phospholipase D2. It is considered as a biomarker for group 4 medulloblastomas. It has the capacity to inhibit tumor invasion and induce apoptosis. Aggregation of SNCA in central nervous system is associated with Lewy body dementia (LBD) and Parkinsonμs disease(PD). The protein may be involved in neurotransmitter release and vesicle turnover at the presynaptic terminals.
