Post-translational modifications of alpha-synuclein protein by oxidative and nitrative stress mechanisms and their effects on the pathogenesis of synucleinopathies

alpha-Synuclein (alpha-syn) is a small, soluble protein found primarily in neurons and is the major component of proteinaceous inclusions that characterize many neurodegenerative disorders, collectively termed synucleinopathies. Since these pathological lesions contain aggregated alpha-syn that is nitrated and oxidized, it is important to understand how oxidative and nitrative stress modifies alpha-syn in vitro and in vivo. To better define the consequences of alpha-syn oxidation and nitration, the roles of specific amino acid residues within alpha-syn were examined. Results showed that nitrating and oxidizing agents induce the formation of stable o,o'-dityrosine oligomers through distinct mechanisms. Tyrosine residues were not required for protein cross-linking or filament stabilization resulting from transition metal-mediated oxidation, but they were necessary for cross-linking and stabilization resulting from exposure to nitrating agents.; We next examined the role of dopamine, another cellular oxidant, in modulating alpha-syn fibril formation since a recent report suggests that dopamine inhibits the conversion of alpha-syn oligomers into mature fibrils. Biochemical, molecular biological, and analytical techniques were conducted to define the structure and conformation of alpha-syn after its modification by dopamine and also to identify the specific dopamine-syn interaction site. Our results suggest that the inhibitory effect of dopamine is not mediated through the oxidation of Tyr, Met, or His residues. Instead, it appears that the interaction requires residues 125--127 of alpha-syn for this inhibition to occur. Our data suggest a novel mechanism of dopamine inhibition of alpha-syn fibrillization, and this may have implications on our understanding of the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease.; Additionally, oxidative and nitrative challenges may arise from exposure to environmental and industrial chemicals, which have been implicated in the pathogenesis of synucleinopathies. A mouse model of synucleinopathy that overexpresses human A53T alpha-syn was exposed to chronic levels of pesticides. Significantly, these environmental oxidants disrupted the normal distribution of alpha-syn in mice and exacerbated their pathology and phenotype, thereby confirming a role for oxidative and nitrative stress in the pathogenesis of synucleinopathies in an in vivo model. Collectively, these results suggest that nitrative and oxidative challenges produce distinct mechanisms of alpha-syn protein modifications that influence the formation of different species of alpha-syn protein, the degree of alpha-syn filament formation, and the stability of alpha-syn fibrils, which provides extensive evidence for the implication of oxidative and nitrative modifications of alpha-syn in the pathogenesis of human disease.