# Synphilin-1 modulates alpha-synuclein assembly, release and uptake

## TL;DR

This study explores how synphilin-1 influences alpha-synuclein assembly and its role in neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s.

## Contribution

A novel model using synphilin-1 to study alpha-synuclein assembly and its pathological implications in synucleinopathies.

## Key findings

- Distinct morphological differences were observed in aSyn assemblies coexpressed with synphilin-1.
- The model revealed that synphilin-1 can modulate inclusion size and number of aSyn aggregates.
- Findings align with lysosome and AP-1 vesicle inclusion patterns seen in human brain tissue.

## Abstract

Alpha-synuclein (aSyn) is an intrinsically disordered protein involved in phase separation and several age-associated neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson’s disease. However, its function and pathological role remain elusive. Here, we modeled different aSyn assemblies in living cells by exploiting its interaction with synphilin-1 (Sph1). We developed a model that reports on gel- and solid-like inclusions through coexpression of aSyn and Sph1. Distinct morphological differences emerged between VN-aSyn + aSyn-VC and VN-Sph1 + aSyn-VC assemblies, showing unique antibody recognition, proteinase K resistance, and protein mobilities. The VN-Sph1 + aSyn-VC interaction could be manipulated to alter inclusion size and number. These inclusions also contained lysosomes and AP-1 vesicles, aligning with observations in human brain tissue. Our study offers new insight into aSyn aggregation and release, highlighting the importance of Sph1 and other aSyn-interacting proteins in synucleinopathies, which involve diverse copathologies only now beginning to be understood.