Functional cooperation of α-synuclein and VAMP2 in synaptic vesicle recycling.

Sun, Jichao; Wang, Lina; Bao, Huan; Premi, Sanjay; Das, Utpal; Chapman, Edwin R; Roy, Subhojit · Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A · 2019

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

The function of α-synuclein (α-syn) has been long debated, and two seemingly divergent views have emerged. In one, α-syn binds to VAMP2, acting as a SNARE chaperone-but with no effect on neurotransmission-while another posits that α-syn attenuates neurotransmitter release by restricting synaptic vesicle mobilization and recycling. Here, we show that α-syn-VAMP2 interactions are necessary for α-syn-induced synaptic attenuation. Our data connect divergent views and suggest a unified model of α-syn function.

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