α-Synuclein accumulates in Lewy bodies in Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies but not in Alzheimer's disease β-amyloid plaque cores

A growing body of evidence suggests that the non-Aβ component of Alzheimer's disease amyloid precursor protein (NACP) or α-synuclein contributes to the neurodegenerative processes in Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). In the present study antisera to the N terminus and the NAC domain of the αsynuclein protein were employed to elucidate the expression pattern in brains of patients with AD, PD, DLB and control specimen, α-Synuclein exhibited an overall punctuate expression profile compatible with a synaptic function. Interestingly, while Lewy bodies were strongly immunoreactive, none of the α-synuclein antisera revealed staining in mature βamyloid plaques in AD. These observations suggest that α-synuclein does not contribute to late neurodegenerative processes in AD brains.