Protein linked to Parkinson's has key in normal brain work

Mandi: A proteininvolved in the progression of Parkinson's disease also has a key role in regular brain function, revealed a study by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi on Thursday.

Parkinson's disease is on the rise globally, with experts projecting a substantial 200-300 per cent increase in cases in India over the next two to three decades.

The international team of experts led by IIT Mandi used a comprehensive array of techniques to understand the nature of the protein, called Alpha-synuclein, in the progression of Parkinson’s disease.

Alpha-synuclein is abundantly found in the brain. In patients with Parkinson's disease and related conditions, this protein is highly phosphorylated, that is, phosphate groups attached to one amino acid (serine-129) of this protein.

Considering Phosphorylation akin to a master switch at the molecular level which involves a minute phosphate(-PO4 group latching onto proteins. This action is similar to flipping a switch, ingeniously activating or deactivating these proteins thereby finetuning its ambience for molecular interactions which lead to the progression of Parkinson's.

Alpha-synuclein, like other proteins, being a polymer chain of amino acids, has a prominent phosphorylation site at the 129th position in the chain which when inhibited results in potentially halting the progression of Parkinson's.

"This important study changes how we think about a protein change linked to Parkinson's disease. It shows that this change, called phosphorylation at a certain site on the alpha-synuclein protein, is not just a disease marker but also crucial for normal brain work," said Dube Dheeraj Prakashchand, in a statement.

"The research suggests that stopping this process might harm brain function, leading to new ways to think about treating Parkinson's that consider both healing the disease and keeping the brain healthy," he added.