Alteration in alpha-synuclein mRNA expression in Parkinson's disease.

The presynaptic protein alpha-synuclein is considered to play an important role in the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease (PD). Point mutations in the alpha-synuclein gene have been demonstrated in familial PD and alpha-synuclein is a major component of Lewy bodies, the pathological hallmark of the sporadic disease. It is not clear whether abnormal accumulation of alpha-synuclein is the result of abnormal levels of expression of the gene in neurodegenerative conditions.