Department of Biotechnology
inStem (Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine)

Molecular insights into α-synuclein interaction with individual human core histones, linker histone, and dsDNA.

Publication Type

Journal Article

Date of Publication

October 1, 2021

Journal

Protein science : a publication of the Protein Society

Volume/Issue

30/10

ISSN

1469-896X

α-Synuclein (αS) plays a key role in Parkinson’s disease (PD). The αS nuclear role, its binding affinity and specificity to histones and dsDNA remains unknown. Here, we have measured the binding affinity ( ) between αS wild-type (wt) and PD-specific αS S129-phosphorylation mimicking (S129E) mutant with full-length and flexible tail truncated individual core histones (H2a, H2b, H3, and H4), linker histone (H1), and carried out αS-dsDNA interaction studies. This study revealed that αS(wt) interacts specifically with N-terminal flexible tails of histone H3, H4, and flexible tails of H1. The αS(S129E) mutant recognizes histones similar to αS(wt) but binds with higher affinity. Intriguingly, αS(S129E) showed a binding affinity for control proteins (bovine serum albumin and lysozyme), while no interaction was seen for αS(wt). Based on our above observation, we contemplate that the physio-chemical properties of αS with S129-phosphorylation has changed compared to αS(wt), resulting in interaction for other proteins, which is the basis for Lewy body formation. Besides, this study showed αS binding to dsDNA is weak and nonspecific. Overall, αS specificity for histone binding suggests that its nuclear role is possibly driven through histone interaction.

Alternate Journal

Protein Sci

PubMed ID

34382268

PubMed Central ID

PMC8442973

Authors

Sneha Jos
Hemanga Gogoi
Thazhe Kootteri Prasad
Manjunath A Hurakadli
Neelagandan Kamariah
Balasundaram Padmanabhan
Sivaraman Padavattan

Keywords

Humans
alpha-Synuclein
DNA
Histones
Lewy Bodies