NEURODEGENERATION. Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases: The prion concept in relation to assembled Aβ, tau, and α-synuclein

Science. 2015 Aug 7;349(6248):1255555. doi: 10.1126/science.1255555.

Abstract

The pathological assembly of Aβ, tau, and α-synuclein is at the heart of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Extracellular deposits of Aβ and intraneuronal tau inclusions define Alzheimer's disease, whereas intracellular inclusions of α-synuclein make up the Lewy pathology of Parkinson's disease. Most cases of disease are sporadic, but some are inherited in a dominant manner. Mutations frequently occur in the genes encoding Aβ, tau, and α-synuclein. Overexpression of these mutant proteins can give rise to disease-associated phenotypes. Protein assembly begins in specific regions of the brain during the process of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, from where it spreads to other areas.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease / genetics
  • Alzheimer Disease / metabolism*
  • Alzheimer Disease / pathology
  • Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / genetics
  • Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / metabolism*
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Brain / pathology
  • Humans
  • Lewy Bodies / metabolism
  • Mutation
  • Parkinson Disease / genetics
  • Parkinson Disease / metabolism*
  • Parkinson Disease / pathology
  • Prion Diseases / metabolism*
  • Prion Proteins
  • Prions / genetics
  • Prions / metabolism*
  • alpha-Synuclein / genetics
  • alpha-Synuclein / metabolism*
  • tau Proteins / genetics
  • tau Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • APP protein, human
  • Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor
  • MAPT protein, human
  • PRNP protein, human
  • Prion Proteins
  • Prions
  • SNCA protein, human
  • alpha-Synuclein
  • tau Proteins