Analysis of sheep α-synuclein provides a molecular strategy for the reduction of fibrillation.

Parkinson's disease (PD) presents with neuropathological inclusions called Lewy bodies, which are primarily composed of fibrillar α-synuclein. Recently, we characterized sheep with Gaucher disease and since GBA1 mutations represent the highest genetic risk factor for PD, we have investigated α-synuclein fibrillation in the sheep. Here we demonstrate that differences in six amino acid residues between sheep and human α-synuclein significantly alter in vitro fibril formation.