A novel link between the conformations, exposure of specific epitopes, and subcellular localization of α-synuclein

Background: Genetic studies and the abundance of alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) in presynaptic terminals suggest that α-Syn plays a critical role in maintaining synaptic vesicle pools. However, there are still few experimental tools for elucidating its physiological roles.

Methods: Unexpectedly, we detected various cellular distribution patterns of endogenous α-Syn by immunofluorescence assays (IFAs). To provide new molecular insights into α-Syn research, we identified associations between epitopes, conformations, and subcellular localization of α-Syn and categorized them.

Results: The α-Syn exposing Y125 was found to coexist with F-actin at the edge of the cells, including the plasma membrane. α-Syn conformations exposing P128 or both F94 and K97 were partly localized to the mitochondria. These results indicate that various conformations of α-Syn are associated with specific subcellular localizations. Intriguingly, we demonstrate for the first time that the phosphorylated α-Syn at Ser129, also known as a Parkinson's disease (PD)-causing form, is targeted to the mitochondria.

Conclusions: Our study showed that different subcellular distribution patterns of α-Syn reflect the existence of various α-Syn conformations under normal conditions.

General significance: This study provides novel clues for deciphering the physiological function of α-Syn in connection with subcellular localization. Dissecting the specific α-Syn conformations may lead to useful strategies in PD therapy and diagnosis.