Alpha-synuclein (also α-synuclein) is a protein whose function in the healthy brain is currently unknown. It is abundant in the brain but also appear smaller amounts in the heart, muscles, and other tissues. In the brain, alpha-synuclein appears mainly at the tips of nerve cells (neurons) in specialized structures called presynaptic terminals. Innoprot has developed a green fluorescent alpha-synuclein SH-SY5Y Cell line for cell-based assays applications.

Alpha-synuclein is specifically upregulated in a discrete population of presynaptic terminals of the brain during a period of acquisition-related synaptic rearrangement. Alpha-synuclein significantly interacts with tubulin, and that alpha-synuclein may have activity as a potential microtubule-associated protein, like tau. The aggregation, deposition, and dysfunction of alpha-synuclein are common events in neurodegenerative disorders, also called synucleinopathies. These include Parkinson’s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy. Study of alpha-synuclein is crucial to test the emerging hypothesis that Parkinson’s disease affects many areas of the central nervous system beyond the substantia nigra, and even extends beyond the boundaries of the central nervous system.